5: How did you attract/address your audience?

Media Evaluation - 5 on Prezi

6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Microsoft  WordI used word to gather information I needed during my research and planning section. Some of the institution profiles and audiences profiles were done on Word. 

Microsoft Publisher
I used publisher to edit some pictures occasionally and save them as JPEG’s  to use.

Microsoft PowerPoint
I used PowerPoint to put together slide shows of some of the things I had found out during the research and planning section of my coursework.

Slideshare
I used Slideshare to put up the presentations I created using PowerPoint so I could share the presentation on my blog by embedding it.

Scribd
I used Scribd to put any documents I had created on word onto Scribd so I could share it on my blog by embedding it.

AnimotoI used Animoto to put together a series of images of magazines, album art, magazine covers, model poses etc. to give me inspiration when creating my magazine.

Mozilla Firefox
My browser was Mozilla as it is the browser I use on my laptop, I used it to access my blog and to access a search engine during my research and planning section of my coursework. 

Google
The search engine I used was Google as it’s easy to use and I know how to navigate myself around it.

Photoshop CS4
To create my product I used Photoshop CS4 Extended. I had used it before but I was able to pick up new skills from it and understand and learn more about this software than I knew. It was enjoyable using Photoshop as I could construct what I wanted easy and carefully whilst being able to keep everything in order. I learnt a lot of different things when using Photoshop as I began to learn how to blend images and background and colours more. It helped me physically see what looked good and what didn't which really helped me when I came to deciding on my final colour scheme and layout for my magazine. My knowledge and understanding of photoshop really improved over the course of this task I learnt about different tools that I had no knowledge of before and some were really simple to use once you knew how to.

Laptop
I used my laptop most of the time, there were only a few occasions in which I used the school computers, this is because I was able to organise my work well and do work at home with Photoshop on my laptop.

Camera
I used my camera to take pictures of my subject for the test shots and the actually shots. I am pretty familiar with this camera as it is mine so I had no trouble using it.

Memory Stick
I used my memory stick to transfer data between school computers and my laptop every so often but I mainly used my memory stick as a back-up in case any of my files became lost or corrupted at any point of my coursework.

Blogger
Finally, I used Blogger to keep all my information on for the duration of my magazine. The research and planning, working towards and my final product are on this blog along with the evaluation. There is also a mix pod and some information about me to bring personality into the blog and all posts are labelled and titled clearly. I learnt how to organise my work more clearly when using this and the labels allowed me to search for research I'd done during the making process so I could always refer back to research when making my magazine so I was sticking to what I learnt during that process in how to address/attract my audience.

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

Looking back at my preliminary task I've purchased Adobe Photoshop CS4. CS4 has enabled me to produce my coursework and I used many tools that I hadn't used before. I learnt a lot during the research and planning process about magazines and distribution regarding them which I found really interesting. During research and planning I was able to find/view/learn about magazines I hadn't even heard of before and I was able to pick out elements that each magazine focused on and how that made them unique which added to the final product of mine. The preliminary task was pretty simple and basic compared to my final and there is clear knowledge that my final has had a lot of work put into it through the research and planning of my magazine. I feel my knowledge of magazines has improved over the course of the coursework as I was able to pick out elements of magazines and see what/how they use typical conventions to make them unique. I also believe my knowledge in Photoshop has improved as I was able to produce a more professional shelf-looking magazine for my final coursework. My knowledge will stay with me for a long time and I'll be able to put it forward in the future regarding other school work and coursework and jobs if necessary.

Magazine Draft: Front Cover, Contents Page and DPS

New colour scheme ideas

I've decided to use a colour scheme that uses black, white and then a singular colour.I like the two blue ones and the red one, but I prefer the red at the bottom to go with the black and white. When I do create my final piece I will experiment with the colour schemes I like best and use the one I think looks more effective.

Draft Evaluation - My comments

Looking back on my draft I can clearly see what I can change to make my magazine look more professional, neater and make it relate more to the genre. The colour scheme is dull and can do with lifting up to make it look more 'rock' style. The vinyl on the contents is to re create the image of classic rock but this can be re thought about as it may not appeal to certain audiences who I'd like to aim the image at and some of the pictures on the DPS can make it look too busy especially when the subject isn't looking at the camera. I need to work on these aspects and more to make my magazine look better and more professional to reach the grade i would like to and to make it look like the genre chosen fits.

Draft Evaluation - Teachers comments

Cover:
Interesting masthead, well laid out. Font looks a bit too small, lacks impact. Subject isn't looking at the camera which loses the audience interaction element. Colour scheme dull, not like a rock magazine.

Contents:
Polaroid images need word, layout is a bit messy - need tightening up. Why use vinyl in a download age?

DPS:
Best element of three but subject only looks at the camera in one shot, why? Decide on an border for the images for more impact.