Preliminary Task Evaluation Questions

Preliminary Task Evaluation Questions

• What have you learnt from completing this task?

From completing this task, I have learnt how to use Photoshop, what the conventions are for a magazine front cover, what angles of images show what effects and also learnt more about colour co-ordination.

Before this task, I had no clue how to use Photoshop, as I had never used it before. But as I started to complete the task, I started to learn how to use it, and got the hang of it quite quickly.

Before the task, I didn’t even know what the conventions of a magazine front cover were, but I learnt them all straight away, this was very easy for me. I learned the names of each convention and also where the best place it was for them to go on my front cover.

I learnt the names of different camera angles (which I had never known before). I learnt how different camera angles showed different effects for themes.

I then started to learn more about colour co-ordination, and what colour schemes were best for a college magazine. I learned about which colours gave which effects and also how many colours were needed for my front cover.

• How have you used technology?

I have used a camera, Google and Photoshop to put my magazine front cover together.

I also firstly looked at examples of other college magazine front covers, to find inspiration for mine and also to find the right conventions to use.

I used my camera to take the main image; I took a few different images and then uploaded them all onto the computer and picked the clearest one.

I used Google to find the barcode and also the image for one of the feature stories.

I then searched college magazine mastheads to give ideas for one for my front cover.

I then used Photoshop to create my front cover. I added the main image first (as I used that as my whole front cover). Then, I added all the other text on top of the main image. I added the masthead, the plug, the feature stories, the selling line and then the two Google images (the barcode and the feature story image). As I added my two Google images, I cropped them both down first, to make them the right shape and size for my front cover, then I added them on top of my main image.

• What conventions have you used and why?

I have made the masthead the biggest size of font on my front cover, as this is the title of my magazine. The reader needs to know which magazine they’re reading. It is also just above the main image, which creates attraction for both conventions, especially as they’re both the same colour. The masthead, plug and main image is colour co-ordinated, as these are the most important conventions on my front cover; they all equally stand out together.

The plug is in the top left corner, as it grasps the reader’s attention by being in a corner of the page.

The main image is a college student; this fits in well with my magazine theme, as it is a college magazine.

The selling line is right at the top, next to the plug. The font type and colour is the same as the font in the plug and also the feature stories and the date, which also creates an effect for all of them to stand out.

The feature stories also fit in with the magazine theme, as they’re all feature stories about college.

I have put the barcode, issue number, price and date all together, to make my front cover look neater.

I have used purple and black throughout the front cover of my magazine. 

• What would you change if you were to do this task again?

I would change my time management skills. I wasn’t given much time to complete the task, so I was rushing quite a lot to complete everything. Next time I would plan everything out first, to know what I were to do first, instead of just doing it and making everything up on the spot.

I would have taken more images of the college student for my main image. As then I would have had more of a choice for what image to use. I also would have chosen better locations for the main image, like outside the college, to actually show the college rather than a brick wall. This would be to make it fit into the theme of my magazine more.

I would have also chosen a mise-en scene too. I didn’t use any props, as I had no time to plan this out. Next time I would use a folder, to show how the college student (the main image) actually is a college student.

I would have added more feature stories to my front cover too and also add images onto the feature stories so that the reader can see more of what the feature stories are about.