Evaluation

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge form and conventions of media products? 
How did use media technologies in the construction of your media product?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of both the product and your use of new media technologies?


Through the planning of manufacturing my school magazine front cover and contents page, I attempted to follow the strict codes and conventions of a magazine. For example the use of a medium close up as the main image and different colour and font of the title, and the use of one font size for coverlines, attempting to leave as little spare space as possible. Also the use of a bar code, a price and a date on the cover, reflects the codes and conventions of any magazine. 
I used Adobe Photoshop to make my school magazine front cover. Although I had previously used this product for a Media GCSE,  I felt like I needed to be refreshed on how to use it. However, I quickly adapted to it and saw that it was easy to adjust too. The software allowed me to crop images from pictures, and edit pictures and writing to the follow the strict codes and conventions and the ways I wanted it to be. When creating the cover I had originally planned for my main article and image to reflect the story, "New School Dinners" yet the images I took did not fit the codes and conventions, so I changed my main story to, 'Adapting to Sixth Form'.  This did not set me back in time. 
      In producing my contents page, I was very unfamiliar with Quark. However alike with Photoshop it was easy to adapt too. I used three columns and featured two pictures and all the coverlines that would feature in the School Magazine.
      The front cover I've produced in my opinion looks professional and sticks firmly to the codes and conventions. I like the way the how the front cover reflects the images yet the coverlines still stick out due to the use of the colour red. The black and red, theme is shown throughout the cover. I feel the image fits the background. 
     The problems which I faced was deciding on the font size for the contents page, I did not contemplate how many coverlines and how much space would be needed on my draft, I have tried my best to follow as many codes and conventions of a contents page. Also I felt there was problems with my front cover, due it reflecting alot of white space this leads to the main image being the main focus, so it reflects on the slights problems with editing. I feel that I did well in completing to the work to a deadline due to starting the course later on in the year