The student reflects on what they learned from creating a preliminary magazine cover task compared to their final music magazine cover. For the preliminary task, they learned about magazine conventions, photography, Photoshop skills, and the research process. However, looking back, they realize the preliminary cover lacked professionalism and realism. Key areas for improvement included the cover lines, main image background, and color scheme. Creating the music magazine cover helped them apply these lessons to design a more realistic and polished final product that better followed industry conventions.

1. Looking back at your
preliminary task, what do
you feel you have learnt in
the progression from it to the
full product?
Question 7

2. MUSIC MAGAZINE FRONT COVER: PRELIMINARY TASK FRONT COVER:

3. Preliminary Task
For my preliminary task I had to make a college magazine front
cover. The reason for this was to help me become familiar with
the process of making a magazine. I learnt about conventions
which was very important as it helped make my magazine look
realistic and create a house style throughout. I also learnt how
to use and develop my skills on photoshop. I also became
familiar with the language, institution, ideology and
representation of magazines which was important in finding out
the basics of a particular magazine. All of this was useful as it
informed me of what I need to include in my magazine while
developing my skills further which became useful and saved
time when creating my music magazine.

4. Things I learnt from my
preliminary task
Terminology
Photography
Photoshop
Research
Process
• Masthead
• Cover Lines
• Features
• Plugs
• Pull Quote
• Stand First
• Tag Line
• Base Line
• Extreme Close up
• Close up
• Medium Close up
• Medium Shot
• Long Shot
• Extreme Long Shot
• Quick Selection
• Selective Colour
• Magnetic Lasso Tool
• Layers
• Free Transform Tool
• Levels
• Stroke
• Drop Shadow
• Conventions
• LIIAR Analysis
• Existing Products Research
• Examples of Shot Types
• Mood Board
• Box Drafts
• Sky line

5. Preliminary Task
When looking back on my preliminary task I now realise how
unprofessional it looks at where it could be improved. It looks
very unrealistic and unlike any existing products. I did follow
many conventions, however I did not consider stylistic value.

6. The masthead on my
preliminary task isn’t too bad.
It is in the correct place and
looks bold which makes it
stand out. The colour also
matches the rest of the colour
scheme.
The price of my magazine is not
placed in the correct area. It
should be near the barcode and in
a much smaller font.
The skyline on my magazine is placed in the correct
area. I think it looks effective.
The cover lines of my magazine are
not edited very well. If I was to do
them now I would take the stroke
effect off and add a drop shadow
instead as the text would still
stand out but look more crisp,
clean and realistic.
My main cover story does not
look effective. The writing is
obstructing the girls folders
and the stroke effect looks
very unnatural. If I was to do
this again I would use the drop
shadow effect instead of
stroke and re-position the text.
This would make it look more
professional
My main image is very hit and miss. The image itself is good, the framing is
correct (medium close up) and the mise-en-scene creates realism, however I
have made it look very unprofessional by adding an outline to the image and
creating the zig-zag background. This makes the magazine look very
unprofessional and I could not image this as an existing magazine. The
background would look better if it was a college environment which would
make the mise-en-scene even stronger.
The barcode is placed in the
correct area, however I would
make it a tiny bit smaller and
move the price, issue, date,
and edition near it.
The website featured in the sky
line is very effective. It makes the
magazine appear more reliable as
it has a real source on it.
The colour scheme is very bad.
Although the colours contrast
each other which makes it
stand out, it does not look
professional. If I was to do this
again I would have the main
colour as white instead of blue
and incorporate elements of
orange and blue. This would
make it look more realistic and
less tacky.
The issue, date and edition of
my magazine would look more
conventional if they were
placed near the barcode.

7. Comparing Preliminary and Music
Magazine
Conventions College Magazine Music Magazine
Masthead Yes Yes
Features Yes, Layout not effective Yes
Barcode Yes, not effective Yes
Plug No Yes
Sub-line Yes Yes
Conventional Image Yes, Not effective Yes
Issue, Date, Edition Yes, not effective layout Yes

8. Peer Feedback
I asked a few peers about my music
magazine front cover for their
honest opinion on what they like
and don’t like about my front
cover.

9. Tara Becky Lauren
I like the look of
the brush stroke
underneath the
cover story. It
makes the front
cover and makes
it so that the text
is readable. It
looks very
realistic.
I like how your
front cover looks
simplistic
because of the
limited use of
colours.
I really like the
front cover. The
colour scheme is
my favourite
element as it
looks very subtle
and not
overpowering or
tacky.