Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this

product?

Technologies in the magazine industry

• Throughout the magazine industry, certain technologies are used regularly.

• These technologies have taken the magazine industry from local to global circulation and made them look as fashionable as the musicians they cover.

• Technologies like digital cameras have made the images in these magazines such a high quality that it’s like the reader is looking right at the bands and artists.

• Technologies like Photoshop and InDesign have made designing and presenting a magazine a skilled craft were only the best survive. The precision and detail that goes into every part of the magazine’s image is incredible and crucial; each bit of text must be placed perfectly, the right font, size, colour. Everything must go and match- not be too much but never to little. Music magazines today are filled to the brim with empty space seen as a sin.

Technologies• For this project I have been using a range of technologies that I

have never used before and others that I have rarely used so it was a big learning curb for me. The list of technologies were:

• Apple Mac• Computer• Photoshop• InDesign• Grab• Blogger• Slideshare• Digital Camera• World Wide Web and Google• Word• PowerPoint• Memory stick

Apple Mac

• The Apple Mac was the main technology I used for my work.

• It had all the necessary programs/technologies that I needed to do the best work possible.

• The Apple Macs I used had Photoshop, InDesign and Grab which without I could not have done any of this magazine.

• It was the first time I’d used a Mac and it took me only a little bit of time to adjust to it from a normal PC.

• Apple Macs are the main technology used by the music magazine industry as they have all the required programmes, technologies and ability to create, develop and publish music magazines.

Computers

• I used a computer whenever a Mac was unavailable. Obviously they do not have the correct technologies available for me to do all the work that needed to be done but they allowed me to upload onto Blogger on the internet, allowed me to plan and to also use PowerPoint and Word.

• Without computers available I would not have been able to complete the work at the needed deadline.

Photoshop• This was the first time I’d ever used Photoshop

and it took me some time to get the hang of.• Firstly, I learnt how to use the magic wand to cut

out images from unwanted backgrounds (mostly to just experiment and see how things would look). An example of this was when I cut the snow from behind my bass.

• I also adjusted the colour behind one of the images of the bass player to see if I would prefer a darker background. I didn’t.

• As I became more used to Photoshop, I learnt how to use layering and used the neon layer for my front cover image and also my double page bass player images; I used it on a lot and then picked my favourites out of them.

• I had to utilise the technology efficiently to make my magazine look as professional as possible.

InDesign• InDesign was where the work came together and the

magazine took shape.• InDesign was where I designed, adapted and

developed all three of my pages. It was the first time I had used this technology but I feel I grasped it quickly and have been able to effectively utilise the available functions. An example of this would be the text box function; I used this to create my masthead, tag line, cover lines, contents articles and double page spread article.

• I also used the various fonts from InDesign to create a very professional, yet unique music magazine; I used fonts that were clear, easy to read and suited my magazine style and I used different colours to outline the white text to help separate and define each bit of text on the front cover.

• I also used InDesign to create my bar at the bottom at the page. I used this to create extra advertising space for the magazine.

• I learnt to use the effects program to make some of my text particularly stand out; this shows their importance so I used it for my feature article cover line. I used a shadowing effect but also a different, larger font to make it really stand out.

Grab

• I used Grab to obtain all the images that I needed to blog.

• It was the first time I had to utilise it because on normal PCs the print screen button allows you to copy and paste onto word or post on blogger to evaluate and explain and this helps me develop my work and see what's good and what I want to progress

• I used Grab for all screen shots like these;

Blogger

• Blogger was the website which I used to post all my ideas, developments, adaptations, evaluations and decisions.

• Blogger was key to this project and in making my music magazine the best it could be.

• My blog address is www.asmediaben.blogspot.co.uk

Slideshare

• Slideshare is the internet site that I have used to upload my PowerPoint evaluations of my music magazine.

• I’ve never used Slideshare before but it was easy to register and then upload straight to my blog.

• Without Slideshare I would have not been able to do my evaluations on PowerPoint and would’ve had to find less appropriate, worse ways to do my evaluations.

Digital Camera

• I used digital cameras to capture the images I needed for my pages.

• I took a range of photos for all the images I wanted to use. For example I took loads of shots of the bassist playing his bass because then I could pick my favourites and the ones that looked the best and most appropriate for my music magazine.

The World Wide Web and Google

• I used the internet to use the search engine Google images to get my research images and also used Google to get to all my internet sites;

• Blogger• Slideshare• Oyster House Media Ltd and its associated

sites.• Bauer Media• Without Google I wouldn’t have been able to get

any information, done any research or uploaded any of my work.

Word

• I used word for planning what I was going to do and scheduling.

• I also used Word for my first evaluation piece and I think it allowed me to write the best piece I could have because I could adapt and change it at will.

• I also used Word to plan out my over evaluations.

PowerPoint

• I used PowerPoint to create my evaluation questions; I think that it has allowed me to show the best of my work and in a format that I am very comfortable using as I have had severe time restrictions with so much other work as well. But even if I hadn’t I feel that PowerPoint would have been the best and most effective way in evaluating and showing my work.

Memory stick

• My memory stick was key for this work.• I did a lot of my work at home and in the library

and so I had to get my new work and copy it to every computer or Mac that I would use.

• Without my memory stick, I would have only been able to do my work at college during lesson and this would have greatly strained my time allowance as I have had so much to do.