This document outlines Forrest Smyth's schedule and progress for completing their AS Media Studies foundation portfolio. Over the course of several months, Forrest created a music magazine mock-up called "Beat" using Photoshop. They developed the front cover, contents page, and a double page interview spread. Forrest conducted research, designed layouts, edited images, and ensured the magazine included necessary conventions. Throughout the process, Forrest improved their Photoshop and desktop publishing skills while making sure the magazine was professionally presented and connected with the target audience.

1. Schedule:
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in
Media Studies
St Paul’s Catholic College
Candidate Name: Forrest Smyth
Candidate Number: 6747

2. Schedule
Week Beginning Work Completed
9th September Introduction to the AS Media Studies course, also created my own personal
wordpress account. Created a very simple page so that I can build on it over
time.
23rd September Began to look at different theories such as Maslow, Hartley and Katz. I am
starting to relate this to the music magazine that I am creating I have chose
to base it off of Kerrang!
30th September I have created a questionnaire that I can hand out to my target audience
(15-25 year olds) to get a better understanding of what they would like to
see in the magazine.
7th October I started and also completed my hand drawn drafts for my preliminary task. I
also continued with my preliminary task of nearly completing my front cover
and also my contents page. I made sure that I had added the codes and
conventions that I needed, in order to make my magazine look realistic.
14th October Throughout this week I am a lot closer to completing my preliminary task I
only have a few corrections to make sure that the magazine is completely
ready and looks professional and fit to be sold.I had ‘repeated’ (Steve Neale)
all the typical conventions of the contents. For example I made sure that the
masthead is visible and also that it used the same font and also the colour
scheme that I used for my front cover.

3. Week beginning Work Completed
21st October This week I made the few corrections that I needed to be done to my
contents page. Also I have made sure that I am completely done with
my preliminary task, I found this was a great way to improve on my
Photoshop skills as I haven't used this software before. I now feel more
confident with Photoshop which will help me produce a better music
magazine.
4th November I have started to brainstorm some ideas for my music magazine and
have come up with different names to call it such as Beat, Sound,
RockStar etc.. Also I looked at other rock magazines to get some
inspiration I looked at Rolling Stones.
18th November I have now finally placed ‘Beat’ onto the front cover and throughout my
music magazine. I have also placed my edited main image. I got rid of
the back ground, changed the exposure and tried out different editing
techniques. As I was editing and making my magazine I learnt different
types of shortcuts which made it easier and quicker to do things. I have
now added all they finishing touches to my front cover. I am moving
onto my contents page. I have copied my masthead to ‘repeat’.
16th December I have played around with they layout of the contents page so that I can
make room for all of the necessary conventions that I need to include
whilst using my magazine’s of inspiration (Kerrang and Classic Rock).
Christmas Holiday

4. Week beginning Work Completed
13th January Finally added all of the text onto my contents page, to make sure that I
didn't’t have any spelling mistakes I wrote it all in Microsoft Word and
then added it onto my contents page. Then I inserted all of the pictures
that I wanted to use onto my contents page. To make it look more
professional I edited the background of the images. Also I have added my
signature and social networking logos and links to the page to create a
personal relationship (Katz) with the readers who have purchased the
magazine. During this week I have completed my contents page and have
made a start on the double page spread.
10th February I made guidelines to make it easier on myself so that I knew where to put
conventions, texts and the image. I also ensure that I used the same
masthead. Again I typed up my interview on Microsoft Word to ensure
that I had no spelling mistakes. When I was writing this I was using the
right language to connect with the readers. I added a edited image of the
interviewee (Daniel Lawrence) to show who is being interviewed.
24th February I have started to finish my double page spread, I have picked the same
font that was used throughout my magazine. Also I made sure that I have
kept to the colour scheme. I have now used the pen tool to make the
interview fit around the image in the centre of the double page.
10th March I have finished all of my pages for my magazine and have moved onto my
evaluation of my magazine pages in whish I answered questions on the
process in making the pages and what different skills I have learnt from
using Photoshop.