AS Media Unit G321Preliminary Task

Cover and contents of my college magazinePreliminary task evaluation example

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

2. What have you learnt about the technologies from the process of constructing this product?

• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Similarities of Covers

The use of shapes to highlight pieces of text

and make them stand out to hold more interesting and relative information

to the reader.

Plain coloured background which helps to make the main image and sell lines

stand out against it

The main images use the rule of thirds where the image can be cut into 9 equal sections and the main part of the image, usually the fact it shown it the centre and either

middle or top box.

They both use cover lines to advertise and some support the magazines

content.

The masthead is made as the page header and has the largest text type and fills most of the pages

width so it is the first thing notice when viewing

• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Differences of Covers

The colours used for my Student Guide must

attract both males and females so must use

neutral colours, but also I thought it would be best

to include purple as that is the main colour used in

the college theme.The amount of sell and cover lines used on the

cover page is less for my magazine obviously

because it is small but I thought it would be more

effective to be kept simple with just a few main points relating to all

viewers.The image shot is different as the one used on my magazine is a mid-shot as it only shows from the chest upwards. The Company magazine’s main

image uses a full length shot .

• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Similarities of Content Pages

The use of shapes to create the columned box

to give its own section about that certain part of

information which is separate to the pictures.

They have a mostly clear background and have at least 1 or more images

showing the people who the magazine is about,

which can often be related to the typical reader too.

Gives the same type of information, it gives

examples and a quick view of what is shown on

each page if you are looking for a certain thing

or just for the best articles to view.

• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Differences of Content Pages

The colours used for my magazine must attract

both sexes so must use neutral colours, however Company magazine uses a range of colours which are more likely to relate

only to women as they are mostly light, summery and

feminine.

On my student Guide I have used more than one

image to break up the page whereas Company

magazines content page is made up of just one picture

which covers the whole background too.

I have used images of one female and two males, showing

the Student Guide relates to both genders equally and can be read by any person who

attends the college.

1. I have used Moodle to get resources and to look at examples of work.

2. I used a digital camera to take images, this meant I had to think about angles and background spade, rule of thirds and shot types when taking each shot.

3. I had to learn the different features of Adobe In Design to create the whole of my contents and then a double page spread.

4. I also learnt how to use Photoshop to manipulate and edit images. This included changing the colour, cropping and adding text or shapes.

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

I used this college website when I needed to know what had to be done next in the project be and to fine out any other information which may be useful when creating my magazine to make it of the highest standards. I was able to look at example of things if I did not understand the process or details of things that were important.

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

I had to use a digital camera to take photo, when using this I had to think about the angles at which I was taking the picture and the amount of background space. Also if it used the rule of thirds and the different shot types when taking each one. On this picture, which is one I used on my contents page, the 9 boxes help to show how the centre 3 show the main body and the top right is where the main focus is.

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

I used Adobe, In Design, to create all of my contents page and also a double page spread. Whilst using this program I had to learn about the different features it had and then put them into use on my magazine.

I had to make the boxes behind the text using the shape tool, also then I had to add text on top of them and then change the colours and font to fit in with the theme of my college guide and be effective on my target audience, which is anyone who attends Solihull 6th Form College. Next I had to add pictures which I then cropped and edited so they were of the right size and did not have too much background. For both the masthead and the images of student I have given them a drop shadow effect which instantly changed them from being just a simple box picture to being more interesting and attractive.

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

I also learnt how to use Photoshop to manipulate and edit images. This included changing the colour to lighter or darker, and getting rid of any sections of the picture which were not of use.

First I edited the effects on the picture so the tones were darker and lighter in certain places. I added a masthead using a colour and font which I found was appropriate to the target audience. Then created a college logo using box shape and text, I also did the same at the bottom to advertise and offer using a star shape which showed the information in a more attractive way. Finally I added separate text clips to the page, I placed them down the sides of the background of the photo where it is mostly clear space.