As media coursework evaluation for question 6.

1. Questions 6: What have you learnt
about technologies from the process
of constructing the product?

2. To create my product I used the software Photoshop. I decided to use Photoshop as I thought that it
would make my magazine look professional as I was able to position my images and text accurately.
When constructing my front cover I started with my main image as a base of my front cover. I wanted
to change the brightness of the photo to make the image stand out more and have a glossy finish. I
then started to create buttons by using the shape tool as I wanted the text that would be place on top
to stand out to the reader. I also used the shape tool to create the banner at the bottom of my front
cover as this was a common feature used on country music magazines such as Country Weekly. I also
added a barcode to my front cover as this is one of many magazine conventions that music magazines
have.
For my contents page I used Photoshop to position the images and text. I used the text tool to create
headings for the two columns I had which were ‘Features’ and ‘Departments’. Underneath these
headings I inserted a shape to give my contents page a signature look. At the bottom of the page I
inserted the magazines website and made sure that it was the same font as the front covers masthead.
I used the website Dafont for the title ‘Contents’ as it offered a variety of different fonts that suited
the genre of my choice.
On my double page spread I started with my main image and positioned it on the left hand side of an
A3 page. I then used the text tool to create my headline, stand first and main body text. I used the
free transform tool to position my text into two columns. I also inserted a background image of a
field of flowers and a sunset to the right hand side of the page and changed the opacity as it
emphasizes the genre of my magazine. Therefore it conforms to the stereotype that country music
can be associated with nature.

3. I used a canon SLR camera to take all my photos that are featured within my front
cover, double page spread and contents page. By using an SLR camera it allowed
me to focus onto a particular object. For my front cover I focused the camera on
my model and made the background come across as little blurry. I did this
because I wanted to emphasise that the model is important in the photo at that
the person looking at the magazine should notice the model first. When using
the SLR camera I was able to experiment with flash. With the majority of my
photos I tried to sue natural lighting as this made the photo look more natural.
However for my front cover I used flash as I wanted the photo to be bright so that
it is attractive to the eyes of the reader. SLR cameras give a high definition finish
and this was ideal as I wanted my photos to look as professional as possible.

4. Throughout the production I have used a wider range of presentation websites to present my planning
and analysis. Websites that I have used are Prezi, Emaze and Slide share.. I chose to use these websites
to present my work as I thought it brought life to my work and was not consisting of mainstream and
ordinary presentations. In addition to this, these specific sites gave access to me in writing in much
more detail.
To present my work I created a Blog account and posted my work onto blogger as it was easier to present
and upload work over the given period of time. This website also allowed people to feedback on my work
so that I know what I may need to improve for next time. I also think that blogger was a great website to
use for presenting my coursework as it was easier to present and makes my work appear organised.I also
used the website Dafont which gave access in experimenting with different style of fonts when it came to
the production of my magazine. This website helped me choose what font was best to use and suited my
chosen genre of music for my magazine.
My evaluation consists of Emaze, Prezi, Powtoon, Slide share and VoiceThread. I decided to use different
technologies and websites to present each question differently. This made my evaluation more
interesting and attractive to look at. Moreover, I was not only able to present my work through the use of
work but through images and animations too.

5. To construct my magazine I used the software Photoshop. I used Photoshop to
construct and edit the photos I included throughout my magazine production.
For example on my double page spread I altered the photo by adding a filter to
the photo. I decided to use a filter that had orange and brown undertones to
create a western style and looks like it can be associated with country music. I
also edited the photo for my front cover by changing the brightness and contrast
of the photo to give it a professional finish that is expected from a music
magazine. I also used PowerPoint presentation to help me with the layout of my
front cover, contents page and double page spread. I used Photoshop to align the
text on my double page spread and made sure that all paragraphs were the same
width.