Wednesday 9 April 2014

DRAFT - Question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process 

of constructing this product?

Throughout the coursework project I have used a wide range of technologies which I had did not have experience with prior to the production of my magazine. I was hesitant at first, but I quickly developed a detailed understanding and skill level which allowed me to created a final piece with aspects I would not have been able to produce before. These skills and knowledge kept me going throughout the course work, and have aided me to created a professional final product.

When taking my photos I used a Nikon D300 camera and the studio at school, this camera allowed me to take more detailed and defined photos for a neat and professional finish. As well as the camera, it was accompanied by three large filter lights, which allowed me to adjust the amount of light in each shot. Prior to my first photo shoot I was inexperienced with such a detailed and complicated camera, however after becoming more comfortable with all its aspects and features, my photo taking skills became more natural. I quickly learned how to photograph my model from a variety of angles and shots, as well as external places besides the studio. This skill has taught me how to determine which kind of shots are best for my model depending of what I want to capture in my photo. In regards to setting up the lighting equipment it was quite simple, however was not easily manoeuvrable, and this made taking outdoors shots very difficult. When taking my outdoor shots, I has to adjust the picture quality and resolution to compliment the natural light that I encountered.

Many programs I sourced from the computer enabled me to add detail and precision to my overall product. The main programmes used were PagePlusXP and Photoshop, both of which could be found on the school computers. However these were only accessible from the school computers which made it hard if work was required to be done at home. These pieces of software were most beneficial as they are what allowed me to experiment and created the layout of my magazine, and the overall finished product. Photoshop was used to alter all three aspects of my magazine, whereas PagePlusXP was only used for the construction of my double page spread, allowing me to adjust the column sizes and positioning.


Also many websites found on the internet were crucial for a variety of reasons;

Tumblr: Allowed me to source possible inspiration which I found useful when trying to find ideas that were 'outside the box'.
Facebook: A crucial tool in regards to organising my photo shoots and discussing ideas with my model.
Scribd: Uploading planning tasks that were available on my coursework blog.
Twitter: Allowed me to collect inspiration, and to communicate with my teachers during the course.

Without the tools that these sites have to offer, the production of my magazine would have been a lot more difficult than it had to be.

The windows package on the computers also became very useful during production. Microsoft Word allowed me to carry our my preliminary mind mapping for my article, research and planning. Paint was also useful, as the cropping tool made it easy for me to crop, edit and develop my product to ensure it met the best of it's potential.

For feedback, Twitter and Blogger were used equally. With the easy access and communication to teachers and peers that these sites allow, they enabled me to show evidence of support and opinion which was ongoing through the production of the coursework. These sources of technology made it easy for my to record and pinpoint areas of improvement, which has helped me to improve my potential grade. Evidence and planning was a massively important area of this coursework, and was a foundation of creating a successful magazine that would sell effectively to my chosen audience.

When looking for existent covers that could be used as inspiration, I looked at sites such as Magpile and Cover Junkie. By allowing me to research conventions and techniques used by other magazine designers, this ensured that my magazine would look as professional as possible, and the magazines would be crucial in showing the development throughout the process of production.

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