For my AS media studies foundation portfolio, my brief
consisted of using digital technology to create the front cover, a contents
page and double page spread of a music magazine, adopting the codes and conventions
of my chosen music genre. All images and text used had to be original, and
produced by me- with minimum of four images. For my preliminary task, right at
the start of my AS year, I had to produce the
front page of a new school/college magazine Using DTP and an image manipulation
program, featuring a photograph of a student in medium close-up plus some
appropriately laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally I had to produce a
mock-up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate their grasps of DTP.
To develop this, I had to research competitive magazines
with the same or similar target audience. (such as NME and Q magazine). Before
I started my AS media studies work, I had certain skills already developed
through the diploma in Creative and Media I studied at secondary school, specifically
in the creative and research and planning sectors, and have had previous
experience using digital technology such as working with cameras, adobe
Photoshop and Fireworks when working on briefs such as unit 5, where we had to prepare
and conduct a campaign and use marketing material to promote a specific event,
we had to produce a press advertisement and create a logo and leaflets using
Adobe Photoshop.
Throughout the units, a key aspect of all projects was to
research and plan to our hearts content. Be it mindmaps, rough drawn drafts,
looking at real media texts, researching conventions and exploring creative
possibilities to the brief and thinking outside the box when drafting and
planning ideas. Creativity was also a huge aspect of all development, planning
and production, because of the hands-on approach; I gained practical experience
of a range of creative methods. We had numerous briefs, and we had to use our
creative flow to interpret it how we wanted to.
I used my creative skills gained from past and felt I was
able to start the course with an open mind. For example I used similar codes
and conventions of indie/alternative music magazines but formed a creative
direction by interpreting it in my own way, such as scanning drafts and posting
it on my blog, then through feedback I would alter the look of my music
magazine and interpret it to differ slightly from the codes and conventions,
and fit into the indie “independent” DIY approach of being a bit different, so
in some drafts I would put the masthead in the centre or drastically change the
font whilst still making sure I was keeping consistent whilst in the back of my
mind always trying represent my target audience
as close to their real life counter-parts.
For my AS portfolio most of my
research was into similar real media texts which were visually similar in the
form, i.e. usually consisting of the colour red and indie band updates in bold
which both adapt to the genre and relates to the audience. I also researched into
magazines of the same genre which differentiate from the conventions (as
sometimes although it breaks the codes and conventions they can still be
accepted if It still has elements of conventions in it) especially as the music
genre was indie/alternative. My principal source of information was the obvious
and most helpful – looking through magazines. Once I had identified a number of
similar texts, I was able to apply the analytical structure that I had already
planned and developed. Aside from general research and planning, I found
finding inspiration such as finding artistic similarities in typography through
CD art of same genre and similar photo shoot cinematography from
indie/alternative bands. This allowed me to find links even in a picture and
adapt this to my production. Simple deconstruction of an artist’s musical
personality allowed me to understand how they could be displayed and interpreted
visually in a magazine, such as Madonna is feisty and feminist and could
display this through use of red and dominating central text. I have had past
experience transferring ideology through different media texts, such as in
secondary school when we had to promote visual art using sound and supposed
this helped me slightly.
Throughout my foundation portfolio I
used Adobe Photoshop CS5 to create my music magazine and edit photographs
taken. I found this to be equally challenging and rewarding due to the
extremity of learning lots of new tools at once, but ending the project with a
more professional looking magazine. As stated previously, I had used Adobe
Photoshop before at secondary school but had only ever used the basic tools
which account for basic image manipulation such as the feather tool. In AS
Media studies, annoyingly, I knew what I wanted to achieve, but didn’t know
what tools to use to create that effect. Therefore, I allowed myself more time
to get the most from Adobe Photoshop CS5 and stepped out of my Photoshop
comfort zone, trying out new tools and editing techniques such as the magic
eraser and clone stamp tool (two of my personal favourites) and how to adjust
lighting, brightness and contrasts as well as variations, this allowed me to
change or play with different options with colours of clothing or even eye
colour. I also experimented with filtering which meant the effect of the
picture changed I used this tool a lot during the making of the product.
Throughout the course, my skills in this sector developed and I realised that paying close attention
to details and carefully laying out the artistic aspect of it, whilst working
towards a well-planned and completed artistic concept was what I mainly had to
think about throughout my development. I believe that taking the time to
formulate a strong concept is extremely important to the success of my magazine
and trying out different things over and over again to find the best idea for
my music magazine.
To conclude, without the development of all of these skills I wouldn’t have had the outcome I have achieved. I think all of the production practices are equally important, and in a way they all flow into one. I have enjoyed the transition from learning the basics to learning the advanced and challenging myself by learning skills I didn’t think I would be good at, such as using digital technology.
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