10 january '10

Preliminary task- School Magazine Evaluation!
To ensure we did not lose 15 marks form my overall grade we had to complete a preliminary task which as mentioned previously was to create both the frontcover and contents page for a school magazine. Before we began to create our work we had to plan what we aimed for our final piece to look like. We were also sent out with cameras and told to take a large quantity of pictures which we could then asses and choose the neccessary of the selection to put into our work. I went out in my own time and took 105 images, of various areas and scenarios of my school. In lesson i then loaded these images onto the school system and attempted to assess which i would choose to configure into my final piece. Our Magazine had to have a Medium shot included somewhere within our work. Once we had selcted which images we would use within our frontcover and contents page we sued photoshop to create our final piece. Finally we blogged and evaluated our work.

The magazine which i would create would be called, "Marks Mews" the magzine would be distributed to all pupils for no cost monthly.

IMAGES!
All of my images were taken within school grounds; in classrooms, halls, corridors and outside pathways. All those which appear in the images were asked whether they minded being photographed before the images were captured. The images which i chose to incorperate into my final magazine cover and contents were as follows:

Image 1;
Image 1 shows a capture of an Alevel students Art Piece, this perticulr piece of artwork focuses on the truth behind the image. The Work shows a photo montage fo both images, magazine cutting and the artists own personal work. This image was used on my front cover at the top of the page to exspress a coverline story for my magazine. The coverline story in question was "Students, Future Picasso's!" This title exspress the idea that the section show some of the best artists of the schools piece, once completed. A with most of ym photos i manipulated this photo ever so slightly, by cropping this image, so to fit its placement within the magazine. Many of the image contained within the piece are o marilyn monroe and audrey hepburn.

Image 2;
Image 2 shows again another capture of an Alevel students coursework. the perticular piece is a painting, which try to portay a simular message to the previous image, the both discuss the topic of beauty and image and our perceptions of the matter. As with the first imge this image was used on my front cover and for the same reason as the first, to stand as a bystander image with the previous to the coverline story of "Students, Future Picasso's!"














Image 3;
Image 3 shows both a male a female and a bunsen burner lame and a boiling tube which is being held to the flame by the female using specialised tongs. The Male and Female within this image are; male- James Roberts and female- Nicola Beere. The taking of this image was arranged with the teacher whos lesson was taking place at the time, Ms Quinn. The image is to represent the happenings of a pratical science lesson. The image represents safety around bunsen burners also as both have their hair tyed back, safety goggles on and ar standing away from the flame. The Image was taken from a low angle just below theflame so to emphasise the flme more rather than those who stood behind the flame doing the exsperiement. This image was taken or the purpose of the main story of "Science Success" which discusses the opening of new science labs which were funded for, and the equipment which has therefore become available with them.

Image 4;
Image 4 shows again a male and female pupil conducting a science experiment. As above the pupils are wearing protective goggles and holding a boiling tupe over a bunsen burner using tongs. the models in the image are the same two as above. The male being James Roberts and the female Nicola Beere. This image was also taken with a wide angles lens. From a low angle shot again just below the flame of the busen burner to sow emphasis of the size and color of the flame. This image was cropped before being added to the fornt cover of the magazine. The crop line was made just after Nicolas right arm, so to show only the bunsen burner and james' exspression. This took the image rom a two person shot to an extreme close up. This image was also taken for the purpose of the main story of "Science Success" which discusses the opening of new science labs which were funded for, and the equipment which has therefore become available with them.
Image 5;
Image 5 shows, a lit bunsen burner on science bench with several boiling tubes to the right of the bunsen burner each holding a small quantity of coloured liquid. This image was taken from a high angle shot, in a portrait setup t show height and emphasis of the flame. Before using this piece within my work, i used the lasoo tool on photoshop to ct the picture down to include only the details which were needed. By using this tool i eliminiated the unnessacary scenery such as the plug sockets in the back ground. This image was taken for the same purposes as image 3 and 4 for the coverage of the story of the new equipment and new science labs.











Image 6;
Image 6 shows a young male from the lower school standing against a red background. The boy is in full st marks school uniform and stares out of the left of the picture. Before transfering the image into the final document, i edited, the image to make his teeth a shade whiter. The image was used within the contents page as the Jack Petchy Winners section. The model of the imge is Jordon Joules a year 9 pupil of the school. Apart from the whitening of his teeth this image was not manipulated of tampered with in any way.













TEXT!
The majorty of the text contained within the document was in the font of 'Impact'. In the colours of black, blue, white, red, grey and orange. Main text, such as title names have a heavy black drop shadow. The only other font used within the contents page and front cover of the documents was tahoma for the "NEW science labs and equipment a big hit" text. Much of the text is written in Full Block Capitals however some text is in both Upper and Lower Case.

COLOURS!
The colours used within my final piece were all colours which were known as being associated with the schools colours.; Black, Grey, Red and White. The only colours which were not colours which were assciated with the schools colour schemes were the Orange, which emphasised and blended with the orange of the flame. The other colour was the Blue used in the text of jack petchy however this was suitable for being colours which were associated with Jack Petchy's logo and overall colour scheme.

LOGO!
From research i noticed and in the majority of cases i read that most sources recomended incorperating the schools logo into the document, however i could not find an appropriated place to include this item therefore i chose not to include it. Instead as stated previously i used the associated colours for St.Marks and incorperated the name of the school into the title of my magazine. "MARKS" Mews!

STRENGTHS!
Overall my final Front Cover and Contents Page were both eye catching and colourful. Although the text was bold and stood out form the page in some aspects as though to be 3 dimensional, the image still shone out form behind the text. Both of the final documents look professional and full, there are not aspects of the page which seem unfinshed of too much white or block of one colour as is often common when creating such a document. All text was readable and kept in relation and in the style of the overall magazine. I belive the overall products suits its target audience well. As the ideas, styl and format of the piece is based and simular to that of magazine which this perticular age group are known for reading. With the use of bold block shapes behind text in order to ensure the text stoof out against the back ground and was not lost. The use of the lasoo tool around the flame from the big science lab image as refered to above as image 3 which was then transered onto the ront page of the final document caused the emphasis of this being the main story to be all the more apparent. he break up of the different areas of interest is also a strength when concearning and reviewing the overal affect of the contents page. The breaking down of the different areas with differnt coloured boxes makes it easier to navigate around the page.

WEAKNESS'&CHANGES!
Although my final document was overall, very professional looking. With all aspects included which i was told to include, apart from the use of the schools logo. Which although i have stated my reason for not using this in my piece if i was to reproduce the magazine i should possible try to include this somewhere within either of the documents. Preferably on the front page of my school magazine. In some ways the font 'Impact' is overused within the document. This perticular font is used for the majority of the text which covers both the front and contents page. Some may say that in areas there are two many images squashed into one area of the page, causing the overall document to look busy.

DENOTATION!
Denotation is what we actually see in this case with the majority of the images we see male and female adolescents in school uniform working in their school setting. On the frontpage this is of dolescents in what appears to be a science lab as the mise-en-scene of the images show bunsen burners, testubes, gas taps and the adolescents themeselves where safety goggles.

CONOTATION!
Conotation is what the denotation of the image is trying to suggest to the audience. In the case of the main story again we can guess that the images are trying to suggest that the adlescents are pupils from the school, the school being StMarks West Essex Catholic School. The images are trying to give off the message that the children are enjoying them selves. They enjoy their work and the setting of the school. This all calculates in persuading the audience and the reader, that the children like their school the atmosphere is friendly and the lessons and education and oppertunities which are given to them by the school are all positive. The use of including the jack petchy image as a main section makes the audeicne understand that the school respects and aknowledges the acheivements, talents and hard work of its puils and likes to ensure others do also.

LEARNT!
Throughout the undetaking of this preliminary task i have learnt several skills and tactics which will aid me in the creation of my final coursework piece. From vital aspects which should be included within my front cover to using certain tools within photoshop to manipulate and edit an image. These tools include the lasoo tool which is another way of cutting an image down but also how to eather layers and hide them when they are no longer wished to be viewed. Although being a previous photoshop user there were still many aspects i had yet to explore. I learnt the key words which are used wiothin the magazine world or certain aspects of both the ront cover and contents page. Terms i didnt even know existed previous. Many aspects of my work was built upon trial and error however now i understadn how to go about these operations first hand. Such as moving a layer onto another document.


FINAL FRONT COVER!























FINAL CONTENTS PAGE!