The student has been researching and planning their magazine project over several weeks. They conducted background research on their topic of serial killers and cults to choose a focus. Planning included determining the target audience and magazine style. The main challenge identified is a lack of primary images, so the student plans to take their own photos or manipulate existing images. Problem solving skills have been improved through considering potential issues and solutions. The student feels prepared to begin the production stage next week after extensive research and planning.

1. Reflective Diary

2. Week 1
Background research and proposal
Writing my proposal has felt very strange as I only just discovered what I wanted to do my final
major project on. But, I am very happy with the idea and feel that it is going to go well. Also
the topic I have chosen offers lots of creative ideas to incorporate into my magazine. Based
on the research that I have done, I think that I do have enough knowledge on this particular
subject to proceed. However, when it comes to production, if feel that I don’t have enough
information I can always do some research in my own time outside of college, that is if I want
more info or need more. I do want to research the cult and killer that I choose, some more,
so that I have enough information to fill the pages of my magazine. But having said that I
would have to ensure that the information that is provided to me is valid and reliable
information. I would most likely do that by looking at lots of different sites and seeing if the
information matches. I also need to look into some more books and magazines about cults,
killers and crime in general for some inspiration for my magazine. I would also like to watch
some documentaries on the cult and killer that I decide to dedicate my magazine to in that
issue.I am very happy with the amount of work I have produced this week, however I believe
that I could always do more by researching every killer and cult in the list that I created in the
background research power point. But, I think that the amount I have produced is suitable for
the time that I was given.

3. Week two and three
Research
During this week I have managed to find out who my target audience was through an on going
investigation throughout the week. I looked at lots of different sources and statistics on what gender and
age group are more interested in crime and serial killers. I also did this for social class as well. I have also
learnt ‘Real Crime magazines’ general style that they use throughout their magazine covers, from
researching them throughout the past two weeks.
Overall I think that I have gathered enough research over the past three weeks however, I would like to
carry on researching as I go, as there may be some information that I have missed and may be useful for
the magazine when it comes to production; The research that I hope to carry on researching will be
research on the cult that I have chosen and the serial killer I have chosen. One aspect of research that I
can take forward in to my project, is the style of the products that I have analysed. I will most likely be
combining elements of each magazine cover and pages that I have looked at and using it for my magazine,
however making it my own, with my own twist and style on it. In regards to my research changing how I
will approach my project It hasn’t so far however it may do in the future when I carry on the on going
research. My research has not highlighted any potential problems that I may need to solve except that it is
going to be very difficult for me to get primary images so the way around this is either get secondary
images like crime scene photos etc. But then to edit the images making them different. I think that the
most successful part of research is the target audience, going into this project I thought that this would be
the hardest of tasks to do, as finding a target audience for cults and serial killers, would be very difficult to
find out. However, I managed to research audiences for subjects that relate to the topic of my magazine in
this case it was crime that got me, my statistics on my target audience.

4. Week four
Problem Solving
I have found many potential problems that could easily happen in production. I have identified
that finding primary research, imagery will be difficult. The subject I have chosen as my magazine
topic will be very hard to gather primary research on. Therefore, to counter this I will either
gather imagery myself by taking my own photographs, and then edit the photos using Adobe
Photoshop. Another way that I could gather my own primary imagery is to collect lots of images
online, and then put them together to make one large image using photo manipulation. The last
way is that I could make my own primary imagery by manipulating and editing images that I find
online. I would say that the problem solving process has influenced my project partly. It has made
me more aware of the problems, and because of the solutions that I thought to counter the
problems, I now do. An example is I now save my work in three places, instead of two places. I
save my work on a USB stick, email, and documents on the main computer that I use. I could save
my work regularly, so in case of a power cut or my computer freezes, I will not have to do all of
my work again. Another activity to help solve potential production problems is to check that all of
the research I collected is valid, through searching other sources and media techniques like a
documentary. This would help prevent false information. When it comes to production I need to
make sure that all of the images are primary research in my magazine to prevent copyright issues.
I will record all of my solutions to problems in both planning and production through an on-going
process of writing it into my reflective diary each week. I think that I am good at solving minor
problems to do with my work, but I could get better at solving more complicated problems.

5. Week Five
Problem Solving and Experiments
• How has problem solving gone this week?
• • What problem have you solved this week and how have you solved it?
• • What problems do you still need to work on? How are you going to solve that?
• • What practical skills have you learned or improved this week?
• • Planning starts next week. Are you ready? If not, what can you do to improve?
• • Is your website up to date?
• • What have you got on your to do list?
Add Screenshots of experiments!!

6. Week Six
Planning
• • How has planning gone so far this week?
•
• • What plans have you already made? Be specific?
•
• • What planning issues do you still need to work on? How are you going to
organise that?
•
• • How good do you think you are at planning? Give examples
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• What is the bit of planning that is going to be most difficult for you?
•
• • Is your website up to date?
•
• • What have you got on your to do list?

7. Week 7
Experiments using Photoshop
• We are almost at the production stage of your work and planning is almost complete.
•
• Production starts on Monday, how well planned are you?
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• What has worked well in your planning?
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• What things have you still got to work on?
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• Have you got a production schedule? How useful do you think it will be?
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• How often, if at all, will you review you planning during production?
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• Has anything gone wrong because of poor planning before?
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• Is anything likely to go wrong because of poor planning now?
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• What have you learned during the planning stages of this work?

8. Production Week 1 (Week 8)

9. Production Week 2 (Week 9)