Q7 - Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression

from it to the full product?

Front Cover

Contents Page

Double Page Spread

Comparing the Front CoversThe layout of both front covers are very similar. With my preliminary front cover, a lot of white space has been left out. I do not use most conventions of a front cover. I also show very little Photoshop skills – I used very simple editing tools and techniques. It also looked very dull and boring, the most interesting thing about it was the font which was downloaded from the internet and it was also contrasting with the background. The font was very funky and contemporary which indicated its target audience – teenagers. The background has a very cool and calm feel to it. The model was not even framed in a medium shot which is conventional for magazine covers. Basically it was not well thought out. With the front cover, I had used many more conventions like a puff. There was a consistent colour scheme and the model was framed in a medium shot. The main cover story is identified uniquely by making it much bigger than the other text. The text looked so much more interesting as more colours were used. I also made up a website. This was all possible thanks to working with Photoshop much more after the preliminary task. I thought that I should prepare myself before starting the actual task. I managed to Photoshop the model as well which further showed my improvement with Photoshop skills.

Comparing the Contents PagesAs you can see between the two contents pages, there is a drastic improvement in many aspects of the page. With the preliminary one there was a lot of white space left , in a similar way to the front page. The images looked like they were splattered across the page. It was poorly designed as you can see from the pencil that is present to consume white space. Very little detail had been given about the individual pages. There were no categories for the pages which is normally conventional for a contents page. The font colour remained the same which is fine if I was trying to gain marks for consistency but no good for appealing or adding interest to the page. There is very little editing or Photoshop skills.You can see that there was a drastic improvement in between the preliminary and actual contents page. The individual pages have a more detailed description. The page looks very organised and well thought out. The pictures have been put together. There is also an editorial which is conventional of a contents page. The page also follows a colour scheme which makes it consistent. The magazine name is also seen at the top. The images have been Photoshop edited from a green screen to a white background. There is hardly any white space present on the page. All the models are facing towards the camera: direct address. More time and effort went into making the actual contents page..

The Double Page SpreadFor this page, my creative and original writing skills were put to the test. I was already told that my writing skills was good. A sufficient amount of images were used. All lot of article conventions were used like page numbers and a floating quote. My improved Photoshop skills were displayed best with the title “17 years in 17 minutes”. It was created from scratch. The article editor/writer is clearly identified. It followed the colour scheme. The same font was used as the ones found on the contents and front pages. The model is shown in two different clothes, providing variation. The smaller image is a low angle shot to provide variation. A drop cap which is seen in most, if not all, double page articles. The questions and answers are identified as separate. Slang is used. The page uses a very simplistic but effective design.

To summarize…

I learned a lot about what it takes to impress the audience. By using the months in between the preliminary and actual task using Photoshop, I have improved my presentation and Photoshop skills. I have learned how to use space accordingly and how using conventions can improve the professionalism of my magazine. I can now manipulate images extensively by using a variety of tools. I have learned about what goes into making a professional magazine and how I can integrate that into my final product