The document discusses how the author used various media technologies throughout their year 13 production process. During research, they used YouTube, Google, and a DSLR camera to conduct secondary and primary research. Planning involved using Photoshop, paper sketches scanned into Word, Microsoft Word mind maps, and online font websites. Construction saw the use of a DSLR, Photoshop, InDesign, and Final Cut for photos, layouts, and ancillary tasks. Evaluations will utilize Final Cut, YouTube, WordPress, and presentation software to analyze and showcase the production.

1. HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA
TECHNOLOGIES IN YOUR
YEAR 13 PRODUCTION
By Abby Hayes

2. Research
• During the research stage of my year 13 production I used the following media technologies,
YouTube, Google Final Cut and Digital SLR’s when conducting research into the product that
I am going to create.
• By having access to these technologies through the developments in web 2.0 I had access to
conduct secondary research on Google and YouTube I was able to look at the feedback that
was given to the similar products to gain an even deeper understanding of what the audience
will be expecting from my own product.
• As most magazine companies now upload a digital versions onto a company website I was
able to explore existing products to develop an understanding of the codes and conventions
and seek inspiration that I could apply to my own product to ensure that it was of the best
standard.
• I also conducted primary research where I interviewed a small group of my peers where I
asked them “If I was to create a regional magazine what would it be about?” to provide
myself with an understanding for what an audience would expect from the product that I am
creating. To create this interview I used hardware such as a Digital SLR camera to film the
interview and then I uploaded the footage into Final Cut to edit the footage that I had
gathered into video. I was able to have access to this editing software through using a iMac
computer which is the industry standard as opposed to a standard computer.
• To present the research that I accumulated I used an online blog WordPress, which allowed
me to chronologically organize the stages that researched into similar products. Having prior
knowledge of how to use this site through my previous experience with it through my year 12
production. I was able to personalize the themes that I chose to present my work, resulting in
a more professional appearing blog.

3. Planning
• When beginning the planning stage for my year 13 production I used Photoshop to evaluate and
analyse similar products to demonstrate how they could influence my own product. I was able to
develop my Photoshop skills through doing this as I had little understanding before I conducted this
stage of my planning. By using Photoshop I could also create a key at the top of the analysis for the
colours that were used in the image on the front cover, allowing me to have a more in depth
understanding of the industry standard, even with small details like the colour palette
• Starting with the front cover of my magazine article I decided to sketch some initial ideas for the
potential layout onto paper. By choosing to adopt a more traditional way of planning the layout for
my magazine, I was still able to use digital technologies as I scanned the document through a
printer and emailed it to myself so that I had it available to upload onto WordPress, where I have
displayed the rest of my research and planning.
• I used Microsoft Word to create a mind map of ideas that I could use as the potential content for the
main spread of my article, as it gave me freedom to create text boxes and move them according to
how I wanted to layout the page.
• I used an online software DaFont to experiment with the potential variety of fonts that I could use in
my magazine. As Photoshop does not have a wide variety of different and unique fonts that I could
use, so I wanted to give more character to my magazine so I downloaded fonts off of this website
and installed them into Photoshop so that I could have access to them.
• In addition I created a step by step guide to creating a barcode for the front cover of my magazine, I
was able to experiment with screen-shooting on a iMac and uploading the image to a PowerPoint
where I could annotate the process. Then I could present it by uploading the file to Slide Share so
that I could display it as a slideshow on my blog.

4. Construction
• During the construction stages of my year 13 production I was able to use a Digital SLR camera in
the photo shoot for the images for my magazine. By having access to this digital technology I was
able to ensure that the quality of the photos would be good and similar to those of the industry
standard.
• When I begun to edit the images into the different pages for my magazine I used Photoshop as I
had a basic understanding of how to work the software but I was intrigued to gain a deeper and
more complex understanding. I used a variety YouTube tutorials so that I could more advanced in
the way that I used the software which will in turn improve the quality of my final product.
• I used Dafont where I was able to download an explore a range of different and unique fonts that I
could use in my product, as I found that Photoshop was quite limited in the fonts as they are
relatively basic and similar to each other.
• When constructing the ancillary task of a billboard I begun to edit in InDesign but I felt like my final
product would not have been as successful as I lacked an understanding of the basic ways to use
the software. So therefore I again used Photoshop to edit as having used it in my main production I
had an understanding of how to include the elements needed to make a successful billboard.
• Also for my other ancillary task I chose to create a radio advertisement for my magazine. To do so I
used a voice recorder to record the audio for the advert, as it ensured that the sound was of good
quality compared to if I had recorded it through a phone. To edit the sound into a radio advert I used
Final Cut X based on previous experience with editing with the software through my year 12
production.

5. Evaluation
• I will record one of my evaluations digitally with an SLR camera and will edit the footage in
Final Cut Pro as an alternative way to display and evaluate my product. I can also record
another evaluation with a voice recorder and place the audio onto a video where I can
display the points that I discuss in the recording to present my ideas both visually and
verbally.
• I can use YouTube to upload the digital evaluations that I generate, to make it more
accessible and to allow me to easily display the evaluation onto my blog.
• By using a simple blogging site such as WordPress to display my work I am able to
personalize each post and make it specific to my work.
• Throughout all of the stage of my production I have used an iMac to work on, by doing this I
have had access to all of the necessary software needed to construct my product and make
it the most similar to the industry standard.
• When displaying my evaluations I can also use sites such as SlideShare and Prezi to help
clearly present my ideas and help to breakdown the different elements that I might higlight
when answering the evaluation questions.