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

2. A Starting Point
I think that doing the preliminary task gave me a starting
point as I had never designed a magazine before and
didn’t have a clue where I would start.
So I think that doing this task gave me an idea of what is
needed to make a magazine and what sort of design
techniques would be suitable to attract the appropriate
audience.
It also allowed me to look at existing magazines and
allowed me to see what current 6th form magazines are in
the public and see what type of magazines people like
and allowed me to see which were successful.

3. Front Cover
I believe that my front cover was successful and allowed me to
learn many thing when it come to my main task. As you can
see that many elements from my preliminary task also
featured in my main task.
For example,
 Masthead top of page.
 Left third.
 Main headline in a box.
 One main colour.
Preliminary Task Main Task

4. Front Cover
 I thing that laying the masthead at the top of the page was a really good idea as
it looks effective in the prelim task. However, I didn’t like how it took over the
whole of the page. So I decided that I would research and look at other
alternative ways to prevent this.
 As you can see in my main task, that I have put the mast head at the top of the
page but it doesn't take up the whole page. I think it looks more professional
and effective to the audience. I that my typography skills have improved as the
title in the prelim task does look effective but I think could have been better if I
had more time.
 So after school I went home and played around on Photoshop so that I would
have been able to learn new techniques to create an effective masthead. One
way I have been able to do this was by downloading and using new fonts and
not just the preset fonts which you have in Photoshop already. This allowed me
to create a more stylized masthead which was more suitable as I could pick
from thousands of fonts where as when I designed my prelim front cover I was
restricted to the 20 or so fonts which are free to use when you buy the software.

5. Front Cover
 I decided that I would include a left third like I did in the preliminary task as it is a main
convention of any magazine also because of the positive feedback I received about my
preliminary task. As the people I asked said that it was really convenient and didn’t draw
attention from the main image.
 Another element which featured in both was the use of the main headline being bold and
outlined in a box. This draws attention to the main headline, from feedback I found that
they didn’t want this so prominent on the cover. So I was able to learn from this and
adapt it when I come to make my music magazine.
 I think that another big thing I learnt from the feedback of my preliminary task was that
people really liked that I had kept a constant colour scheme throughout the page and that
it wasn’t too distracting from the other things on the page. I used this knowledge and
adapted from what I had learned and decided that a main colour scheme through my
work would make it look more professional.
 I also learned that the main image on my prelim page, made it hard for my audience to
read the text on the page. So when I designed my main task I decided that I would only
use a background colour instead of using an image. This was better as you could read the
text better and the main image was still the main focus on the page.

6. Contents Page
I believe that my contents was successful and allowed me to
learn many thing when it come to my main task. I was able to
make choices as I had a chance to see what worked and what
didn’t then I was able to learn from the mistakes I had made.
For example,
 Bit Plain
 Images not edited
 Font
 Layout
Preliminary Task Main Task

7.  At the time of designing the contents page for the preliminary task, I was really pleased with the
way it had come out and the choices I had made. However, after further investigation and from
the feedback I had gathered I was able to see that it really was plain. As all it contained was text
and images. This isn't very effective and when I researched music magazines I could see that I
needed to add more detail and information to the design.
 I didn’t know much about image editing at this point in the course. So I never edited any of the
images at all and just put them in the design as they came. This isn't really effective for a
magazine as the images should grab the viewers attention and make them want to read the
magazine. I think that was one of the biggest things I could have learned form the preliminary
task and really helped me when designing my main task as I really want the images on my
contents page and double page spread to stand out.
 Much like the problems I encountered with the masthead, I found that for the prelim I never
really knew how to install fonts or make them look professional/effective. So I decided that
when I did my main task I would teach my self how to install new fonts so that my magazine text
would stand out and look unique to other professional magazines.
 I think that I learnt the most about how to layout a contents page as from feedback I have found
that my preliminary task looked a bit childish and didn’t really look very effective. So when I
designed my main task I learned from my mistakes and you can see from the amount of
versions I uploaded to the blog this shows that I was still learning about the layout as every
week I would come across something new which would give me inspiration. However, I think
that the preliminary task was a great stepping stone to the main task.
Contents Page

8.  I was familiar with Photoshop when I started the course andhowto do basic edits and how
to use the basic tools, butnothing too exciting or extravagant.I know that I would need to
know how to do quite advanced stuff when I got to the construction part of the project.
 My biggest problem was the new Photoshop layout as I was normally used to using it on a
windows computer so when I got into the class room I found it hard to use Photoshop on
the Apple Macs.
 However, I learnt how to use the new layout by watching YouTube videos and reading
about it on forums and blogs online. I also used websites to teach my self small
techniques to make my work look effective. I used a tutorial online to teach myself how to
add the light beams into the photos then created my own designed using my new
knowledge.
 Most of the work on Photoshop was just playing around with the software will you were
happy with the way it turned out. After school I sat on Photoshop playing round with
different effects and filters and when I found something interesting then I would add this
into my construction for both my prelim and my main task depending on which part I was
on.
Photoshop

9. New Software's
 Throughout the project I have had to learn how to use new software's which I'm not
normally used to. So when I came across a new piece of software I wasn’t sure how to use
then all I had to do was Google my problems and I was sure to find a website telling me
how to over come it.
 One of the software I was unfamiliar with was Prezi. I have never used this before I
started my media course so I had researched how to do it and asked my teacher and
fellow students who already know how to use the software to give me a few tips to create a
professional presentation. Then I further learned how to create a better presentation after
I finished my one for the preliminary task. As I found that the software updated and had
some new features to improve my presentations. This means that I would have to learn
about the new features of the software so I could put the new features of use.
 Another new software I have had to learn how to use is Bubble-us. This is a very
temperamental software and doesn't always work. Well in the past I normally have
problems saving the work so I have found that I have to write up the work and copy it into
the software when I am happy and ready to upload it to the blog.
 I have also had to learn about how to use the green screen technique with the new version
of iMovie as with I have had problems. I researched on the internet to find the best ways
to create a simple video and make them all work.

10. Photo Styles
 When I was prepping myself for taking photos I needed to make sure that I know what
and when I was taking photos. This means that I had to know about the different
techniques for taking magazine photographs. That means that I would have to know the
different photo types, for example close up, mid shot, long shot ect.
 I did this by talking to my teacher and class mates about the different photos and which
would have been suitable for my magazine. This wasn’t to hard to learn as I was able to
use some of the knowledge I had learned for the exam we did in January, as some of the
theory behind the photos were the same.
 But I have learned lots of different things about photo types when I took the photos for
the preliminary task. I found that I needed a range of shot type and plenty of different
angles and lengthy as you never know when you need an extra photo. As I don’t think I
has taken enough photos for my Prelim task and could have done with a few extra photos
or even a better range of photos as looking back I feel that I was restricted with the
amount of photos I had to work with.

11. Media Industry
 Since the preliminary task I have learned a lot about the media industry, which
has helped me to construct a professional magazine to the best of my abilities.
 From the research into existing media publications and distribution companies,
I was able to learn about the industry and find out where they had problems
and make sure that I never had the same problems. For example with the
research I had done into distribution companies I was able to distinguish which
would be the best companies for me to go with.I have learned about the
companies and what there looking for.
 Before the preliminary task I don’t think I could have told you want a
distribution companies even was let along give you a description along with a
number of companies and there effects on the media industry.
 Research into these media industries have also allowed me to learn about the
layouts and the way the professionals constructa magazine. Something of which
I could have done a lot more in my preliminary task as I feel that I had a lack of
research and could have gone a bit more in-depth in certain areas I would need
for the construction phase of the project.