The document summarizes the ways in which the student's media product followed, developed, or challenged conventions of magazine covers and contents pages. For the front cover, the student followed conventions like using a medium close-up main image and positioning the masthead at the top, while developing conventions like using an unconventional font. For the contents page, conventions like using a three-column layout and including page numbers were followed, while developments included placing the page numbers in colored boxes. The student also learned about using online storage and editing software like Blogger and Photoshop to construct the media product.

1. AS Media Preliminary
Task Evaluation
Vicky Lawrence

2. 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of media products?
Masthead
Main Image
Main Coverline
Covermount
Coverlines
Price
Barcode
Rule of Thirds
Front Cover

3. Front Cover
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of media products?
• I have followed the codes and conventions of a front cover by using a
medium close up shot as my main image. However, I developed this
convention slightly as the student in the main image is not looking directly
at the camera. I have also used the rule of thirds on my front cover as the
main image is centered so the students face is in the top centre box and
the main coverline occupies both the left middle and bottom boxes.
• Another way that I followed the conventions was through the positioning of
the masthead, as it runs across the top of the page, occupying all three
top boxes of the rule of thirds. I have also stuck to a continuous colour
scheme of only using red, white, black and shades of blue which gives the
magazine a simple theme.
• One way that I have developed the forms was by using the "Myriad Pro"
font instead of the typical "Sans Serif" font that most magazines usually
use. Professional lifestyle magazines (like the one shown above) tend to
use a blank background behind their main image so the image stands out.
I have challenged this convention in my magazine by attempting to include
a college building in the mise-en-scene to set the scene of a college
environment to fit in with the genre of a college magazine.
• Furthermore, I have changed some of the layout of my magazine front
cover compared to the original drawn draft that I created. Originally I had
planned to use an image of a student from a side angle, so they were not
facing the camera at all, but eventually decided to use a medium close up
in order to follow the conventions of a magazine. I also changed the
positioning of the main coverline and 2 other coverlines to fit around the
main image as the coverlines were beginning to cover the students face.

4. 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of media products?
Contents Page
Masthead
Page Numbers
Date and Issue Number
Website Page
Images
Rule of Thirds

5. Contents Page
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of media products?
• I have followed the codes and conventions of a magazine’s contents
page by using the rule of thirds in my final draft. I used this feature of a
contents page by splitting the layout of the page into three columns
where the magazine articles and page numbers are held. I have further
followed the forms of a contents page by including the masthead in the
top left corner of the page in the same styling as on the front cover so it
will begin to become a branded name.
• Another way that I have followed the codes and conventions of a
contents page was through the use of the page numbers in larger text.
However, I have developed this idea slightly by putting the page
numbers in colourful boxes and by using a drop shadow to make them
stand out more.
• In order to further follow the forms of a contents page, I included the
link to the website page and social media links. Although I followed the
codes and conventions of this feature, I changed it slightly as most
magazines place these page links under the “contents” banner,
whereas mine is placed at the bottom of the page.
• Furthermore, I also made some changes to the final contents page
compared to my first draft. I had originally planned to use a grab quote
in the middle column but instead decided to use one of my original
images in it’s place so I could meet the convention of having 4 or more
images on my contents page.

6. 2. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
I used Photoshop to
create my magazine front
cover and contents page
I used the online software
Blogger to store all of my
work relating to this
preliminary task
I used a Macbook Pro at
home to continue editing my
work and also to finish off my
final front cover and contents
page
Hardware Software
I used the Microsoft Word
software for my risk
assessments and to show my
construction process
I used Microsoft Powerpoint
to create the evaluation of the
preliminary task
When at college, I used a Windows computer to
start creating my magazine front cover and
contents page and also to create and edit the
documents for my blog
I used the voice memo
feature on my iPhone to
record my reflection piece
Also, I used a Canon
camera to take the original
photos for the final product

7. 2. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
• When using online software, such as Blogger, I have learnt that the work that is
stored on the website will never be lost and that it can be accessed anywhere
from any computer, as long as you have the correct login. I have found out how
useful this can be as it saves the use of a USB stick and it means that work can
easily be accessed and edited from home.
• In Photoshop, I have learnt how to use the grid and ruler tools. These features
helped me in the creation of my contents page as when using the rule of thirds, I
needed to make sure that the columns were evenly spaced and that the images
and text was inlined. This feature can be seen on the right:
• I used a Canon camera when taking the photographs for the final product. When
I was using this piece of technology, I learnt the different camera settings that
can be used to create different effects on images or videos. I also learnt how to
use the zoom option in order to make sure that only what was needed in the
mise-en-scene was included in the image.