Evaluation!

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

In my school magazine, I incorporated many codes and conventions for a typical school magazine. I researched a already existing school magazine front cover and contents page. Things that I took from the front cover of the magazine which were typical conventions were ...

• Title at the top of the page
• The models head is over the title
• One model
• Date at the top of the page

For the contents page the typical conventions of a contents page I did ...

• Larger page numbers with the stories written next to them
• Stories which were included in the magazine
• Photographs which help represent the school

Some things I change to suit my personal front cover and contents page such as for my front cover, I used photos in photo frames on the left hand side instead of the stories as I thought this gave off a more professional look and can bring in readers who prefer for visual things over a lot of writing. For the contents page I made it quite simplistic just like the one I used as a style model. On the front cover of the magazine that I researched, I didn't put a bar code on mine as it was unnecessary as it will not be going for sale.

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

When taking photos for my front cover, I had to keep in mind that I needed a medium close-up. For this I had to take the photo portrait way round so that it was in the right format. I also made sure when I was taking the photo that it was in focus by turning the front of the camera to make it the focus that I needed. I used natural light as the place where I took the photographs were well lit rooms and therefore there was no need for artificial lighting. I constructed my magazine in InDesign but edited the photo's in PhotoShop. I didn't really have to do much editing to my photo's, but for the front cover photo I cut around the model using the magnetic lasso tool. I then softened the edges of the photo's so they weren't harsh lines on my page. I made sure that I was on the correct layers at all time and deleted the layer which I didn't need.

Lizzy xo