The student learned several skills that improved their work from the preliminary task to the final production. For layout, they learned to use layers in Photoshop to make the page more visually interesting. They also researched magazine conventions to create a double page spread with a flowing layout. For images, the student learned to manipulate brightness, contrast and saturation in Photoshop, and how to take better photos with their digital SLR camera. For text, they learned how to use drop shadows to make text stand out on busy backgrounds. Overall, acquiring these new skills through practice, research and tutorials allowed the student to create a higher quality final production with professionally styled images, text and layout.

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. PRELIMINARY FINAL PRODUCTION

3. PRELIMINARY FINAL PRODUCTION

4. PROGRESSION AND LEARNING
1) Text. in comparison to my preliminary task, the text has been much improved. My preliminary task front
cover had a bold title, similar to my final production- however, I learnt how to add a drop shadow which
made it a lot clearer and bolder, adding something unique to the cover. My preliminary task also had
many serif fonts in different colours which were quite difficult to read, and looked slightly messy: this was
improved as I made my cover more simplistic with white san-serif capitalised fonts, similarly to what I had
found in my research. I used photoshop to alter my fonts effectively (width, height etc.) and made them
more interesting which was clear to see on my contents page as each section was clearly separated.
2) Images. The images on my front cover and contents page for my preliminary
task look are very scarce, and are quite dull and plain. I altered this as I made my
final production, taking multiple vibrant pictures for my contents page, and using
interesting locations to aid this. I spent time planning where my photos would be
taken but also the time of day, lighting, weather etc. (because of on location
shooting) and begun to understand how to use my camera more efficiently (ISO,
aperture). This made my images look a lot better quality and reflected the style
that I wanted to project for my magazine because of the mise-en-scene and
styling. Throughout the production process I learnt how to use photoshop in more
detail than I did before so I adjusted the brightness, contrast ad saturation which
impacted my images greatly. I decided I needed a larger variation of images which
I took myself and made my contents page more interesting

5. PROGRESSION AND LEARNING
3)Masthead. For both my preliminary task and final production, both mastheads are
quite similar because of the font. However, I would say that my final production
masthead looks much more professional because of the drop shadow behind it and
the way it is spread out across the whole of the top of the page. I watched tutorials in
order to learn how to do this, (spread the writing etc.) and manipulated it to how I
wanted it to look- which I found difficult when making my preliminary because I
didn’t know how to do it.
4) Layout. By looking further into the codes and conventions of magazines and having a greater knowledge of
photshop, my magazine became more complex and interesting which would appeal to my audience. I learnt
how to add layers on photoshop which also helped the production of my piece and made the page more busy.

6. I applied all the things I learnt from making my front cover and my contents page to
my double page spread.

7. PROGRESSION AND LEARNING
• I acquired skills over time in order to progress from making my preliminary task to
my final production. These skills helped me to create my double page spread and
improve on the layout, text and images that it consisted of.
• Layout- the layout of my double page spread was very similar to those that I
researched in my codes and conventions (clash). This information allowed me to
produce a double page spread with a flowing and interesting layout and an urban
mise-en-scene.
• Text- the research I had done about text and how to use it in different ways was
extremely helpful as I could make the page look as interesting as possible with a
variety of different fonts and sizes. I learnt how to use a drop shadow which was
important when making my text stand out against the multi-toned background.
• Images- using a digital SLR I took photographs on location after watching tutorials
on how to get the best possible outcome. I then manipulated these images with
photoshop, adjusting the contrast and brightness of the image.

8. CONCLUSION
• In conclusion, the professional quality of my final outcome was
improved vastly due to the techniques I learnt along the way, from my
preliminary task to my final production. This included using
photoshop to enhance images, how to operate a digital SLR camera
(so I could take better images in comparison to my preliminary) and
how to take interesting location shots (through tutorials).
• If I had not learnt about these factors my magazine wouldn’t have
had a professional consistency, and when researching my codes and
conventions I wouldn’t have learnt how to do my pre structural
design and planning.