The document discusses the technologies used to create a magazine media product. Photoshop was used to edit images and compose the front cover, including cropping images, adding text with effects, and importing logos. InDesign was used to layout the magazine, creating frames to hold images and text, then manipulating sizes and styles. A blog was created to document the process using Blogger. Photos were also taken with a digital camera provided by the college to be used in the magazine without copyright issues.

1. PRELIMINARY TASK Austen Mahon
EVALUATION

2. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT
USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF MEDIA PRODUCTS?
Masthead
Cover lines
Cover image
Rule of thirds

3. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT
USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF MEDIA PRODUCTS?
Masthead
My mast head uses colours that are associated
with the college (purple and green). I have done
this to create a sense of uniformity with the
magazine, and to make it seem like it belongs to
the college. Empire magazine on the other
hand, has gone for block capitals in red.
Cover lines
My magazines cover lines are relevant to the
target audience, and they interest them. I have
used different colours to attract the reader, and
the red in the word ‘REVEALED’ makes it seem
more important. It also helps draw the reader in.
Empire magazine on the other hand has cover
lines that would attract their audience. They have
also included a puff.
Cover image
The cover image on my magazine is a medium-
close shot of a college student. Obviously other
students, the target audience, will be more
attracted towards the magazine if the picture on
the front is of one of their peers. The Empire
magazine on the other hand is a medium shot of
Captain Jack Sparrow. He is chosen because the
main cover line is to do with him.
Rule of thirds
My magazine follows the rule of thirds quite well.
The subject is offset to the right. I have done
this, just to allow the masthead and cover lines to
fit in on the left hand side. The Empire magazine
has got the subject in the centre of the shot.

4. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT
USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF MEDIA PRODUCTS?
Title
Highlights front
cover features
Layout of contents
of magazine
Images

5. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT
USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF MEDIA PRODUCTS?
Title
On my contents page, I decided to not insert my
masthead, due to design choices. I did however decide
to have the title ‘contents’ across the top of an image.
On the contents for Empire, this has not been
done, instead having the title simple at the top in a
square.
Highlights front cover features
For my contents page, I decided to have 3 of the main
coverlines, as there own little sections on the page.
The main cover line goes all the way across the top
with its own image, and then the 2 next most
important cover lines next to each other. This gives the
3 main cover lines a bit of emphasis, and the images
mean that they will more likely get read. Empire have
got something similar, but it has more text, and only
small images scattered around.
Layout of contents
For my contents page, I decided to instead of listing
the pages with the page number next to each one, to
have them across lines like a paragraph of text, with
different fonts, sizes and colours to differentiate. This
is mainly down to design, but it also meant I had
enough room to fit in the images for the 3 main cover
lines. I also has the titles of the main coverlines and
their page number on the image, instead of in the
contents. The Empire magazine on the other hand, has
just got the pages listed with their page numbers.
Images
For my contents, I decided to use images for the three main coverlines. These are used to attract the reader to the articles. Considering a majority of people only ‘skim’
through a magazine, looking at the images, this is a way help them read it, as if the image interests them, they may be inclined to read the article. Empire magazine has
something similar, as they have got images for different articles, scattered across the front page.

6. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES
FROM THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS
PRODUCT?
For this task I have used the
following technologies:
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe InDesign
• Blogger
• Digital Camera

7. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES
FROM THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS
PRODUCT?
Photoshop is an industry standard, photo editing software. It is
used to manipulate images. I used Photoshop in this task to create
my front cover. I imported my cover image, created a
masthead, added coverlines, a barcode and other bits and bobs to
it.
When I inserted the image into Photoshop, I cropped it to fit onto
the page. This was to make sure that the entire page was taken up
by the cover image. Next, I added all my coverlines. For the
coverlines, I used a variety of fonts, sizes and colours, to help split
everything up, emphasise certain parts, and to make the cover look
generally better. I added certain effects to the text, such as drop
shadows, to make them stand out and look better. I also added a
‘Costa Coffee’ logo, which I imported, cropped, removed the
background, and resized it to go on my cover.
During this task, I learnt a lot about Photoshop. I learnt how to use
its basic, and some advanced, functions, how to create a
composition of images and text, and how to export it into InDesign
(which I will get onto on the next slide).

8. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES
FROM THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS
PRODUCT?
InDesign is an industry standard piece of desktop publishing
software, used to manipulate text and images to create things such
as posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers and books.
Unlike Photoshop, which is used to actually create
something, InDesign is used to arrange things. Images would be
created in Photoshop, and then imported into InDesign, along with
text, and manipulated to create a page.
I used InDesign to create my contents page. During my time with
it, I created ‘frames’ which act as placeholders for things. They are
used to represent any component that will be added to the
document, whether that be text or images. Afterwards, I inserted
my 3 images into their associated frames. Next, I inserted text.
After that, I manipulated them all. I added drop shadows to the
text, resized it, coloured and changed its font. This is to allow all the
text, especially that of the contents, to not all fall into one, but
instead, to be differentiated into individual bits. This was mostly for
design reasons.
After everything was in place, I inserted my front cover into the
same InDesign document. As InDesign is to create things such as
magazines, inserting the front cover into it, and making it all
together, is what needs to be done.

9. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES
FROM THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS
PRODUCT?
We used Blogger to create online Blogs. In these blogs, we will be
uploading all the different tasks that we have undertaken. This
includes hand drawn plans, completed magazine
components, images and information about what we are doing.
The blog act as a way to show what we are doing for our
coursework tasks, and what going on behind the finished product.

10. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES
FROM THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS
PRODUCT?
For our preliminary task, all images had to have been taken by us.
This means we can not use any images for online. We were given
cameras by the college, and we had to then go around the
college, taking photos for the magazine. I took 4 photos in total: my
cover photo for the front cover, and then 3 more photos for the
contents. The cover shot is a medium-close shot. This was
necessary for the task.
When taking some of the photos, especially the one for the front
cover, the subject had to have been standing in front of a plain
background, as traditionally on a front cover, the subject is always
standing in front of a plain background. This is mainly to allow the
cover lines to go around the subject, not on top of a complex
background.
Once we had taken the photos, they were to be uploaded to the
computers. We used a USB date cable. Afterwards, I uploaded
them to my blog. These photos were then inserted into Photoshop
for my front cover, and then InDesign for my contents page.

11. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES FROM
THE AUDIENCE
As part of my evaluation, I asked a student (the
target audience) to list the strengths and
weaknesses of the front cover.
Strengths Weaknesses
• Eye catching • Cover photo is blurry
• Phrases that the target • Same font all over
audience understand
• Masthead
• A lot to interest people
• Interactivity
• Prizes
• Well organised
• Looks like a
professional magazine

12. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES FROM
THE AUDIENCE
Like for the front cover, I asked a student (the
target audience) to list the strengths and
weaknesses of my contents page.
Strengths Weaknesses
• Layout • The blankness behind
• Contents layout the contents
• Text for individual • Could have more text
images/main
coverlines
• Different fonts,
colours, sizes and
styles
• Titles