Through creating a preliminary project and then a full product, the student learned several important lessons about creating magazines: 1) Time management is crucial, as certain tasks like layout take significant time and require planning interim deadlines. 2) Practicing photography skills is important for high quality images, as lighting and effects improve with experience. 3) Research is needed to understand magazine conventions like bold coverlines and multi-column contents pages. 4) Achieving professional standards is challenging but allows more creative experimentation in the final product.

1. Question 6: What have you learnt about
technologies from the process of constructing this
product?

2. Technologies used in Research
• During the research stage of my production I used technologies such as the internet.
• I used search engines to find magazines of my genre and I then went to the websites of those specific
magazines. This is an example of multi-platform consumption as the magazines and magazine features are
available online.
Rock Sound
website
• Another way I used the internet was through Blogger. I used this site to compile my research and
compare things side by side in order to decide which elements would work best in my own magazine.
• Blogger: this site allowed me to insert images and links which I was then able to discuss and arrange in an
attractive way so that it was easy for me to refer to the information.
Research post
from Blogger

3. Technologies used in Planning
• Whilst planning my media product, I used various technologies to make my work more effective. For
instance:
• Scanners: although a traditional method, this enabled me to clearly display my sketches of the initial ideas
and designs I had, on my blog. I was able to plan out various ideas and then easily upload images of these
to my blog so I could quickly refer to them when they were needed.
• Another technology I learnt about during planning was ‘Test shoots’. This is when practice shots are taken
in the desired locations to see how the lighting will turn out and the best way to alter this. However, due
to the disruptions and issues I had with my models, I was unable to fully complete a test shoot. As a result
of this, when I was taking the photos for my actual shoot, I encountered a couple of lighting issues and so
had to take more photos to practice and try out effects then.
• Again, I used the internet during this stage. This time however it was used to research colours and fonts
that would be appropriate for my genre.

4. Technologies used in Production
• During production, I learnt about the various functions on the camera. As previously
mentioned, I would have completed this during my planning however unfortunately
encountered difficulties with arrangements.
• I discovered that the camera had many settings such as ‘portrait’ that alter the depth of field
and how much the camera focuses.
• Another thing I learnt during this process was the effect that the positioning and the amount
of lighting has on the overall look of the final image. I practised moving around the lights, or
turning some off and making other brighter in order to try different effects and see which
best suited my genre and the desired look of the images.
More lighting on
the right and
aimed from higher
than the models
head.

5. Technologies used in Post-production
• This stage of making my media product was the most time consuming and the one in which I learnt
the most.
• Firstly, after taking my photographs, I opened them in Photoshop in order to manipulate the images
and make them the best in which they could be.
• To do this, I used tools such as the ‘Clone Stamp tool’. This enabled me to take the colouring from
one part of the photo and place it on another, and therefore perfect any blemishes or undesired
shadows.
• I also learnt how to use the ‘magnetic lasso tool’. This made the final look of my product more
professional and it allowed me to move the piercing in my models nose so it was perfectly aligned.

6. Technologies used in Post-production
• The second stage of post-production was using InDesign which is a desktop publishing
programme. This enabled me to create my contents and double page spread in a professional
manner.
• Although this programme seemed difficult to use at first, one I had learnt about its
functions, it enabled me to create a structured piece of work.
• I was able to do this by using margins and column gutters. These functions meant that my
work was kept aligned and look neat and professional.
• Another aspect I learnt about InDesign is that everything must be placed in boxes to make it
easier to alter them. For instance, images must be placed in image boxes. This then allows
you to either alter the size of the image, or alter the view of the image, essentially like
cropping.

7. Question 7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what
do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to
the full product?

8. Main Task:
Final front cover
Preliminary Project:
Final front cover

9. Time management skills
• Throughout the preliminary project, I learnt and discovered roughly
how much time different tasks took. I was then able to apply this
knowledge to the main task in order to get everything finished.
• I learnt that the layout of pages was the most time consuming part
for me as I was quite particular about the way I wanted my media
product to look. This meant that I had to carefully monitor how
much time I was spending in order to keep to my schedule and
complete the tasks to the set deadline.
• By completely the preliminary task, I also learnt that it was
important to create a schedule of mini deadlines in which to get
certain tasks completed by. I did not do this in the preliminary
project and felt that I was less aware of the time I had in which to
complete the work.

10. Overall aesthetics
• I feel that the preliminary task taught me about lighting and
colour schemes.
• Although in the preliminary task, blue and red was chosen
to make the magazine fun and lively and therefore suitable
for a college audience. I feel that using only one colour
would have made it more sophisticated and I achieved this
in my final project.
• Before the preliminary task, I had not used a digital SLR
camera and so the picture quality is not as good as the final
project where I had had time to practice more with
different effects. I think the preliminary project taught me
that correct lighting is essential as the front cover of my
first project looks rather dull and does not have as much
depth as the second.

11. Preliminary project
• I learnt that magazines follow certain forms. In the preliminary project, I used coverlines that were quite small and didn’t
stand out. Through this trial and error and also through thorough research for my main task, I discovered that magazines
contain many coverlines that tend to be in a neat layout, they are bold, and catch the eye of the audience.
• I also learnt that contents pages are divided into three or four columns even though it may not look that way. I allowed
myself to be more free and stepped outside the strict structure of my preliminary project in the main task. I did this by
letting my image stretch over two columns on the page.
• A final thing I learnt throughout the process of both tasks, is that it is incredibly difficult to gain high standards and make a
product look professional. However, I feel I improved upon this skill through again the trial and error of the preliminary
project and allowing myself to experiment with the technologies I used.
Image stretching across two columns