2. Effectiveness of Research
I think that my research was very effective with helping me discover the style of the magazine. Both primary and secondary
research. I think that secondary research helped me a lot more even though there was that chance it could not be valid.
However, I made sure that the information that I found on each website was valid by thoroughly checking it across other
websites. When doing research I looked at crime magazines, a crime book, and artists that had a unique style that I thought I
could interpret their work into my work. When looking at these pieces of work I found many factors that were similar more
so in the crime magazines, and the crime book that I analysed. One of the artists that I looked at was ‘Butcher Billy’. One of
my favourite artists, the reason for looking at him is because his art style is very unique and I wanted to find a way to turn
either Ed Gein or David Koresh into one of these colourful art pieces. In the end I didn’t make one of these, however with the
style and colour palette that I used, I don’t think that it would have suited it the magazine. If I hadn’t had done research my
cover and the pages would not look as good as they look now, as other magazine covers and pages gave me a general layout
for my magazine. If I were not to have done any research then my final magazine would look completely different, and it
wouldn’t look nearly as good.
3. Methods used
Throughout my project I used many methods in both production and throughout all of the power points that I did. I tried to vary different
methods up especially when it came to finding information, the research side of things. I did both primary and secondary research as well as
different ways for finding information out such as documentaries. In production I tried to do lots of different methods to change it up. One
method that I wish I used was to make something similar to “Butcher Billy” who I did some research on. If I were to add more pages to my
magazine if I had the time then I would make something similar to his work. I think that this would have worked really well. Also it would mean
that I have more primary research. The methods that I used in my research were to go onto websites, that I recognise and take information
from that website and adapt it into my own.
4. Final concept
The final concept for my magazine was to make a finished magazine with most of the pages unique and suiting to the subject. I planned to
make a good number of pages not the size of an actual magazine though as that would take longer. The concept was to make a completed
crime magazine featuring the Branch Davidians as this issues main topic and Ed Gein as the second topic of this issues content. I also planned
to make a contents page showing people what other topics would have been covered in this issue. However, I didn’t plan to do any more
topics than the Branch Davidians/David Koresh and Ed Gein. I also planned to have each page relatively different from the last one, trying to
keep the magazine unique. I wanted the magazine to be interesting visually compared to your other typical magazines and stand out amongst
other magazines. However, I still wanted the cover to look like your typical magazine cover as I really wanted to see if I could make a cover
look like a professional magazine cover, as in previous projects when I have made magazine covers they haven’t looked as professional as I
thought the outcome would be. But with my cover in this project it is better than I expected. I think that my magazine has definitely lived up
to the initial concept and the final outcome of it is better than expected.
5. Planning
I think that planning went really well, as it helped me develop the style that I wanted to use for when it came to production. I made lots of
style sheets to give me an idea of a colour scheme and font styles. I also created a schedule and a weekly priorities list to help me with my
time keeping which I have struggled with in the past. I think that this helped massively and I ended up being way ahead of schedule. Later on
throughout the project I ended up being far ahead of my schedule, therefore I decided it would be best for me to stop following my plan as I
already had done most of it. Before the last week of production I made a new ‘final week of production’ schedule that helped me know what
to do in the final week and what day to do what. Overall I think that planning went very well, and I didn’t really have any problems with
planning, as I have learnt from past project mistakes, when it came to planning. However, with planning I tried to do lots of it even at home as
this was the big project, and the topic that I had chosen, crime.
6. Production
Production went very well and I am very happy with my finished magazine. I am very pleased with the cover and back-cover of the magazine. I
am most happy with the layout of the magazine. Every page that I made matches the theme of the crime as well as the general colour palette.
However, there are aspects of my magazine that I would change if I had the time to do so. But, generally I am very happy and proud of my
magazine. My magazine definitely lived up to the expectation that I had before production. The main aspect of my magazine that I would
change is the Waco siege page in which the text is slightly unreadable in some places. If I were to change the page, I would most likely change
the layout to a more normal layout like I have done on some of the other double-page spreads in my magazine(Both images to the right,
below). I think that both the ‘Ed Gein’ and ‘David Koresh’ double-page spreads went very well. I tried to make them look as if they actually
belong inside a magazine, and make them look as professional looking as possible, in a magazine way. There are still aspects of the whole
project that I would have done differently for a slightly better outcome. One of them being speeding up production so that I can make more
pages including different crimes other than just The Branch Davidians, and Ed Gein. I would have liked to include The Moors Murderers and
even Charles Manson and The Family, if I had the time. I think that I should have worked faster in production, even though I originally said that
I wanted to spend as long as possible on the cover as I wanted it to look.
7. Post-production
I think that overall post-production went very well, as I actually started making my cover during post-production due to the fact I liked the
practise cover I was making and it was something that I wanted to make for the actual cover of my magazine in production. I tried to
experiment with ideas that were going to be used in production and relevant to my magazine. That is why when it came to making these
experiments I experimented a lot with the distressed and old, vintage look to the photos. As I knew that I would not be able to get much
primary imaging for this project because of the subject I have chosen. Therefore I would have to edit them to make them different from
the original image. I think that the images that I did this to did look old at the end of the process.
8. TECHNICAL problems
The biggest technical problem that I had as such was the finding of primary images. As my project was a difficult topic to gather images on in
general even secondary images, as there are only so many images you can use more than once. Also the two crimes that I focused on: The
Waco Siege, and the serial killer, Ed Gein – were old crimes that didn’t have lots of images on. However I did find a way around this, which
was to gather images of the internet and then edit them using Adobe Photoshop CC to either make them more visually pleasing or more
distressed and old looking by adding filters and effects to the images. I did manage to cope with the recurring problem of not having many
primary images however, as I just edited second-hand images. Another technical problem that I had was finding different images are there
were only so many on the crimes. However I used editing the images to my advantage changing them from the original image.
9. MANAGEMENT problems
In terms of time management, I planned and used my time very well, mainly because of the production schedule that I made. I found this
project easier compared to other projects in terms of managing my time as the production schedule gave me a good idea on what to do on
certain days and weeks as well as it being flexible, such as if I was behind on something I could push it out a bit. If I were to plan it all out
again, I would most likely speed up production so that I could go back and check everything else, and improve it all like my research power
point etc.
10. EMOTIONAL problems
One of the biggest emotional problems that I had nearer to the end of the project was that I came to the realisation that I didn’t want to go
onto doing this anymore, in terms of University or any other kind of further education. Therefore I found it hard to stay focused and
motivated. I found myself more easily distracted nearer to the end of the project as well as my attendance dropped. However, even
though I didn’t want to go onto doing anything similar to the course, I tried to keep myself motivated to finishing the work and passing the
course as, I didn’t want to waste the two years that I have been working hard to get a good grade on. This was my main motivation as well
only have a short amount of time before finishing. Which made me think, I just need to work hard for the remaining, so many weeks.
Overall I think that I have done well to say that I wasn’t really motivated to make the final piece, as I have finished everything and worked
to my best standard that I could.
11. Does my product meet my intentions?
I think that my product does meet my intentions. I intended for this magazine to be a professional looking magazine that focuses on one
main crime topic of this magazines issue, The Branch Davidians, and another crime topic different from the cult. I also intended for my
pages to be unique and different from the last, each having a different style and colour palette, but still relevant to the magazines topic,
crime. I am very happy with my work, there are aspects that I would change and improve on. However, overall I find it to be very good and
am happy with the end product.
