Evaluation Question Seven

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I have learnt how to plan, research and improve my work through my preliminary task, I have also learnt the importance of being focused and following a brief. Equally I have had to learn to work to a given deadline and working hard within a time frame, meaning I have had to be organised and prepared which is a valuable lesson that has helped me in creating my final media product.

By completing the preliminary task, I was able to develop an understanding of how to edit and manipulate images using software such as Photoshop, word, PowerPoint, and publisher, as well as learning the conventions that a magazine follows to appeal to an audience. I have also learnt how denotations create connotations and how this is used in media to communicate to the audience. I have tried to use these conventions in my final product to create a successful music magazine that represents the R&B music industry to my target audience.

In conclusion, the preliminary task was essential for me to learn how to produce my final product as I was able to pick up the required skills before I started on my media product. Furthermore the skills I have acquired such as working to a deadline, and following a brief have proven to be vital in completing my music magazine with confidence, and the skills I picked up using Photoshop I have used more confidently during my final task, as well as learning new techniques. Finally, although the preliminary task may have failed to teach me how to use a camera and card reader, it did allow me to develop an understanding of the sort of framing that is conventional for a magazine cover so I had an idea what type of image I wanted to take, while I still had to learn to use the equiptment.

PRELIMINARY TASK	FINAL PRODUCT	EVALUATION
		From my preliminary task, I learnt how to use Photoshop to remove the background of the images I have taken. I also learnt how to make a new page on Photoshop the size I desire, and then add an image or multiple images to edit, and also to adapt the size of the image to match to size of the page I have created. When I used this technique in my final product, I was able to make the end product look more professional and like an existing product. I was also able to experiment with new tools to manipulate my image.
		I learnt in the preliminary task how to add text and move it around the page to the position I want. I also learnt how to change the size colour and font, however I was able to understand through my preliminary task that existing products tend to use different fonts and styles for the cover which is a convention to make it more appealing to the audience who consume it.
		From my preliminary task 5to my final product, I have learnt how to use Photoshop to edit my photos, I have also learnt how to take photos that are conventional of a music magazine cover and understand which frame is most suitable, and which contact and colour schemes work best for the product I am creating. Equally I have developed my Photoshop skills to create a more conventional and attractive product. I have still included features I have learnt from the preliminary task such as the barcode, date, issue number, price, and the other conventions of the product I have learnt.