Media Evaluation Questions

What have you learnt from completing this task?

In the space of three weeks I've already learnt so many things about Media from the preliminary task. The thing I consider the most impressive is the skills I have gained with regard to Photoshop. When I started this course I had never used Photoshop before but now I feel relatively confident with it, obviously there are many things I do not yet understand, but I feel I have a strong grasp on basic things.
                Something else I have learnt from this task is about taking photos. I learnt a lot about the wide variety of camera shots in one of Tim’s lessons (high angle, medium close up, etc.) which will obviously be incredibly helpful when it comes to designing my real coursework magazine. I must confess I was slightly naïve when I took my first five photos for my college magazine, as soon as I attempted to edit them I ran into so many problems. One big problem was that the background was so full of colour it would have been impossible to inset some text without it clashing at some point, which obviously looks bad. Another problem I encounter was that my model was on the left hand side of the photo which eliminated me from writing any cover lines on that side due to colour clashes. However I attempted to take more photos and made me model more central and made sure the background was one colour. I have learnt the importance of getting the right shot.
                I also learnt the importance of semiotics and signifiers often in a text many things we pass of as irrelevant are actually incredibly important. It blew my mind how important small details can be that we just subconsciously overlook.

How have you used technology?

This whole preliminary task would have been impossible without the right technology, from my camera to the editing software. I don’t have the best camera in the world yet because I was taught about shot types, backgrounds and lighting I was able to get the right shot. I was able to experiment with my camera in a range of shot types and backgrounds until I was happy with a shot that would later become my college magazine cover. 
                I have also used the editing software, Photoshop, which is arguably the best of its kind. The past three weeks have been a bit like Photoshop School for me as I have never used to until I started Media. However I feel I know the basic things. I can edit text very well, I can also edit pictures (sort of) as I can scale them, rotate them and etc. The idea of different layers was very confusing at first but I now feel quite confident with them. Obviously I am not a Photoshop master as of yet but I can do basic things relatively well. 
                I did have a blog prior to starting Media so I was already relatively confident with starting a blog and posting things onto it. However perhaps something worth saying is that when I first tried to upload my Photoshop test it would not work and then I realised I had not saved it as  JPEG file which I will try not avoid in the future. 

What Conventions have you used and why? 

1) Masthead - My masthead is the word "BYTE" which I think is short, snappy and catchy. Obviously it is related to computer science which is the main topic of my College Magazine (Win an iPod, Bill Gates, iPhone 6 etc.) However my Magazine focuses on other things to appeal to a wider audience. The word "BYTE" is in block capitals and takes up a large proportion of my page and can therefore not be missed. 

2) Cover Lines - As I said before many cover lines (and the plug) are related to technology; "STUDENTS RATE THE iPHONE 6", "BILL GATES: THE DROPOUT BILLIONAIRE" and "WIN AN iPOD." I feel technology is growing at an immeasurable rate and believe one day computing could potentially be a core subject and that is why a lot of my magazine is dedicated to technology because it applies to not just computing students, but every student. Other cover lines include "2014 RESULTS: THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY" I have not used the correct grammar here but the majority of magazine cover lines I looked at did not have much grammar at all so I kept it to a minimal. I feel this is a good cover line because it attracts all students. There is also a cover line called "IMPROVE YOUR LOOK" which hopefully will apply to women as this magazine is a predominantly masculine magazine so the improve your look cover line should attract more female readers. I also have another cover line called "WHAT I DID FOR AN A" which I will leave to the imagination but hopefully its provocative implications will attract more readers. My final cover line is "BYTE'S REVISION TIPS" which again, applies to all students.

3) The Central Image - The central image is of my friend Ross who dressed smartly, appropriately and perhaps even 'coolly' which applies to the small fashion side of the magazine, but he also has a rucksack strap on his shoulder which suggests he is carrying books and work which shows he is a successful and hard working student. Obviously there is a folder and a pad in his hand which again has similar implications to the rucksack that he is smart and cares deeply about his learning. 

4) Layout and Design - Most college magazines I looked at stuck to a colour scheme, mine is red, white and black. I feel these colours compliment each other very well. The white lightens the magazine and makes it seem believable as a college magazine but the red and black suggest it's edgy and can be slightly cool. Most college magazines I looked at had a central image and cover lines either side of him/her which I have done. There is a small bar-code and price in the bottom right corner, a large and 'in your face' masthead and also a sky-line. 

5) Sky-Line - To avoid any confusion over what type of magazine this is I have demonstrated through my sky-line it isn't just a computing magazine but a college magazine that has something for everyone. "Your personal Bible of All things Student" I feel communicated this well.

What Would you change if your were to do this again?

One thing I would change about this task is the amount of time I dedicated to it. Three weeks is a small amount of time, I feel, to complete this whole preliminary task up to a very good standard. I feel my magazine and contents page were of a relatively good standard but everything else I feel is slightly rushed, not because I didn't spend enough time on everything, but because three weeks is simply not enough.
         I would also change my attitude towards magazines. I started this process wanting to create something different and edgy but the more I tried to think outside the box, the worse my magazine looked. However I discovered that when I stuck to traditional conventions and traditional magazine layouts it started to look a lot better. I can't say why, but if magazines don't look like every other magazine they are simply not appealing. I have tried to follow the rules of magazine making but have also hopefully created something unique too.