Looking back at your preliminary task (the college magazine task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?



Covers (Before & After)



Contents (Before & After)

 
  When I compare my preliminary task and my final task, it is obvious to see that I have gained a lot more knowledge about what makes an eyecatching and well set out cover/contents page. It is also glaringly obvious that my editing skills have improved vastly, as everything on my final products looks better quality and a lot more professional.
  When I was making my preliminary task products, I didn't know very much about any Photoshop techniques or how to use them effectively. At most, I used the Magic Wand and Clone tool, whereas when I was producing the final pieces, I was using shadow effects, lighting effects as well as the magic wand and clone tool.
  Using the shadow effect tool was very effective in making my masthead and tagline stand out on my final cover, which I didn't use on my preliminary task. I used the fade tool to make the bottom of my models look a bit less obvious and harsh, which worked very well, as my background is also blue faded to white. On the lead on my music magazine, I lightened up her face a little bit with a lighting tool. This improved my cover image as it also highlighted the lead and caught the attention of readers. I feathered the edges of the cut up models to make it appear to have a smoother edge, which made my cover image look a lot more professional, instead of leaving chunks taken out of it and making it look very harsh and blocklike.
  I used an eroded and distorted font for my masthead in order to break conventions and reinforce the idea that my magazine wasn't conventional or stereotypical. I used a fairly conventional layout throughout my magazine, so my readers would know where to look for certain things and my mode of address was current to most youth today. All of my text is relatively modern and has an informal tone, so it's easy to relate to. For my feature article, I decided to use a band being reborn, which intrigues my audience, as their curiousity makes them want to know what brought them down and how they solved this issue. As a reader of Kerrang! Magazine, I was familiar to their article types and the mode of address they use. I read a few extra articles just to get a better picture of how to write mine. I found that the majority of articles featured in Kerrang! were informal and spoke directly to the reader, which engages them, therefore willing them to read on. Throughout my project, I felt I had to ask the opinion of some of my female friends who fitted in my target audience, to make sure I was taking the right approach. I also compared and contrasted ideas with some friends who were also doing the same project as me and we helped each other out. Eg, by advising each other which Photoshop technique would enhance an image etc. Before I published the final versions of my magazine, I had to make sure everything was exactly how I wanted it to be. I had to proof read my article each time I redrafted it, to make sure there weren't any spelling errors and to make sure it was fitted to my target audience.