Evaluation 

Question 7 

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

     Front Cover Music Magazine                                              Front Cover College Magazine    

As you can see when my preliminary task and my music magazine front cover are compared I have made a big improvement. 

I feel I have learnt how to successfully use the different Photoshop skills. On my preliminary task my main image of my model is badly cut out around the models head, you can still see some of the original background, this is due to me rushing the cut out and not doing it properly. However when cutting out the main image on my music magazine I took a lot more time, making sure it was properly cut and blurred so to look natural. I also put a lot more effort into the organisation of my music magazine photo shoot, choosing an appropriate outfit and doing my models hair and makeup, where as on the preliminary task I did not, which shows in the image. 

I think I now also understand the conventions of magazines, whereas in my preliminary task I did not. As you can see on my full product the bar code with price, issue etc. is featured in the bottom right of the page, following conventions. However in my preliminary task it is in the bottom left, too big and not featuring the price or issue. Instead the price is featured in a speech bubble which looks quite mediocre and ammeture not following conventions. Something so simple as the bar code has made an improvement on my full product. My full product also features a web address for my magazine following conventions further. 

In my full product the main sell line stands out a lot more, with it been on a different side of the page and different font, showing I have followed and understood conventions. 

I think overall I have put much more effort into my full product. Fully thinking about how the layout, image, colour scheme etc. will affect my overall magazine and attract my audience. The leopard print and bright colours will attract my indie-pop audience. This has resulted in my full product looking much more conventional and realistic, with continuity throughout the page. 

If I could do the preliminary task again there are a lot of changes that I would make. First of all I would make sure that my image is properly edited and cut out, making sure I took my time with the erase and blur tool when removing the background from my original image. I would also make sure my sell lines are left aligned to follow conventions. I would also lower the opacity of the background of the sell lines. Also to make my magazine look more conventional I would remove the price bubble and add the price onto my barcode, then move the barcode to the bottom right of page.