Category Archives: Creative Critical Reflection 1

So… How is it going?

What new transferable skills have you learnt?

I have learnt how to communicate meaning through out my work and i have learnt to collaborate and help other peers with their work allowing us to gain feedback. This then helped us to develop our work and make it the best we can for our final copy. I can use this skills everywhere in life and this would allow me to utilize this in later life

 

 

Design Skills 2

What new design skills or production techniques have you learnt?

I have learnt a lot of skills on InDesign – which is an adobe program I had not used since I started the sixth form. These skills have enabled me to make my front cover, my DPS and my contents page. This is a very nice program to design anything with. I am looking forward to creating my adverts for my magazine, I am also looking to invest in the software for personal use as it is very fun to create some amazing designs.

What went well

  • The transferable skills I learnt on photoshop when I was in high school, that I have been able to utilize in creating backgrounds and to cut photos out.
  • The photoshoot for my front cover went well after I learnt how to use my camera properly to get the right photos.

What went even better

  • The support I had from my teacher who taught me how to use the programs as there was a lot I was getting confused over. As well as my teacher I had a lot of support from classmates who gave me a lot of feedback on some parts of my work and I was given a lot of targets on how I could improve my work which really helped set a goal to achieve.
  • My research went very well as I picked a genre of music which really interested me so I was very passionate about learning about the different cultures and processes it takes to make the songs and the whole sort of vibe of the music.

I used the slice tool a lot (which is pictured below). This helped me to cut around my images allowing me to then put the photo onto a transparent background to then put in my magazine

These are the tools we used in InDesign to create my magazine.

I have been taught how to use InDesign, these tools pictured and annotated is what I’ve been using to make my music magazine. I learnt how to proportionally put a photo in my box. I also learnt how to size them all and re alight text.

The Media Ecology.

Media Ecology is a theory concept that covers media, technology and communication and how they affect human environments, as-well as how they all rely on each other. It was first introduced in 1962 by Marshall McLuhan For example, our ecosystem works as follows:

  • Money comes in from paying customers at the ticket booth for their boat ride to the island, hotel night stay and return ticket
  • The Boat then Carries that money and the people to the island as well as its stock
  • The other boat already on the island then ships the money and the people back to the hotel where they have a nights stay
  • The Hotel then has supplies to upgrade their appliances which makes the customers come back for another stay
  • Then the boat brings the people back to the ticket booth to return home but are given a free nights stay at the hotel but have to pay to the boat ticket which attracts more tourists(building communities)

When producing my music magazine I will need to think about all the components in the media ecology to obtain the best potential outcome of my magazine. For example, my audience and how I will distribute my media to them, this will affect how my communities are built up with the type of social media that I share.

Design skills 1

This term I have been learning the ways of media.

I started by catching up on the work I missed at the start of the term. This included all the work with the camera and mise en sene. This has allowed me to then take photos that I have then gone on to use in programs such as InDesign and photoshop.  I did have some previous knowledge on photoshop but I have also learnt some ways to change contrast and colours in the photo as well as learning how to whiten teeth.

I have learnt some ways to play around with text on InDesign using stroke to have the effect of a shadow or to incorporate a new colour into the design.

My magazine front cover first draft was not very good, I used the basic skills I had already learnt to try and finish the first draft. I then took it upon myself to ask and research new ways and techniques to use to make my final copy of my front cover how it is now.

I learnt how to use the burn tool to darken skin colour and add a sort of tan to my models

I learnt how to use the stroke took in InDesign for mt text to make my cover and 2PS.

I have tried to make my writing enable to read as I really want to intrigue people and interest them in the rap culture and industry. This, in theory, could be a very good business idea if anyone would have wanted to publish a rap magazine as there are not many rap magazine.

My model was dressed to my stander and was fit for the shoot. He knew exactly how to model too allowing us to get the best photos for the magazine. We want to make Dave look like a guy you wouldn’t want to mess with.

As a Rap fan, I’ve tried to make a magazine I would have enjoyed reading as if I enjoy it hopefully others with similar interests would have picked it up for a read.

So… I am ready to photograph my star.

The values my brand portrays is that we leave you satisfied with all you’re musical needs. We are on the market to open access to all the Rap information you can find.

I will use various amounts of props which can be found in my agenda. The camera angle will most likely be low looking up to give the rapper a sense of power and that it shows owner ship of the front page.

My MES will be covered in terms of costume, this can be found on the agenda. These costumes will put Dave in the feeling allowing us to get the perfect angle for the perfect picture.

My audience will need to be considered because we want to give them the star image for them to view.

So… How can an image communicate meaning?

The previous post of my mood board where I took 9 photos and hashtagged the meaning behind them. This task made me learn how the mise-en-scene angles can tell a completely different story. The same photos could be taken at different angles and portray a completely different meaning. This was really interesting to find as for my magazine I will need to find the perfect angle to get the right meaning behind my front cover photo. This can also change depending on how many people. If the photo of a group is at a completely different angle it can show how this will have different effects and meanings.

We also used smart attire to see how the ‘red carpet return’ will look. The costumes could have been for the genre of music I would have done. The body language of my models was of a natural teenage swaggy vibe, which could have represented more of a lower gravity more sluggish vibe of a rapper. There were not many gestures made in my photos and that with different lighting could have gave different meanings and vibes to the rap style This with the camera at many more angles could have told a different story.

So… I’m ready to make some media!

When I now think about making my own tour poster, I need to think about the following;

  • Name – Thinking of a name for the ‘brand’ of magazine company that will  be releasing this magazine is crucial as it need to be relevant to the genre.
  • Theme – When thinking of the theme I need to think on my personal interest in music as I need on the trends of the music, well also keeping up to date with the fashion trends and the status of the famous artists and what is happening.
  • MES – I will need a model to dress up in a chavy sort of style, well using a lot of props and costumes to find the perfect photo. I will personally take the photo on a clear background to then transfer on to a nice, stylish and relate-able to the background as i want people to be able to look at my magazine and see the instant connection to my genre of music.
  • Layout – I want to have a big photo of my model in a stylish situation. This will have a big standout title to the front page with my own magazine ‘Brand’ present.
  • Camera – The camera will help to show the ‘bad guy’kind of ‘old school’ vibe from the first glance of the model on the front of my magazine. This is where i will be dragging my views in with the eye candy front page.

I will be posting about my new ideas in the next few days on how my style will be and there will be news on my genre and ‘brand’. Stay tuned…

So… Hello Media Studies

I am hoping to learn about different skills in design and to learn utilize these skills in my word and on personal projects. I used to be crazy for computers and I have previously created music magazine covers with photo shop and I have existing knowledge on the uses of some design programs. Completing coursework will help develop my time management and allow me to gain understanding of how to maximize my time on blog. I would like to study sports media at Cardiff Met University and skills and knowledge gained will really help my future ambitions. Working with groups is a skill i would like to be able to develop as I would like to listen to others ideas and utilize the idea to do the best work.

So… Im A Media Prosumer!

  • This collage of pictures may affect my magazine as my music taste in rap and expensive clothing will be portrayed when I start to create my music magazine allowing users to see how expensive and where to buy what clothes are shown in my music magazine.
  • My viewers will be able to find all the magazines social media outlets and see our posts online. We will also give them the latest tricks on how to write your own music. We will be offering style advice also, there will be plenty of information on where and where to go for all concert/artist information, outfits worn within the magazine and where you can get products from.
  • Blumler and Katz will influence my decision when creating my magazine as I will want to have an equal section of information and entertainment while also allowing people to enjoy looking at similar fashion styles.
  • I think the target audience will find everything they will need in my magazine as we will split all the section to allow the readers to consume more of the magazine.  There will competitions even be in the magazine as well competitions on our social media as this will increase the amount of exposure that this magazine will get on social media without even having to pay to promote it yourselves

Underneath is a break down of my mood board into what they show in my personal opinion.

 

Blumler and Katz

Information –

  • Social media,
  • Youtube,
  • Netflix.

Entertainment –

  • Social media,
  • Youtube,
  • Netflix, Spotify,
  • Wales Rugby,
  • Southampton Football.

Personal identity –

  • Gucci,
  • Versace,
  • Tommy Hilfiger 
  • Social media,
  • Spotify,
  • Wales rugby,
  • Southampton football.

Social interaction –

  • Gucci, Versace,
  • Tommy Hilfiger,
  • Social media,
  • Spotify.

 

Reflection.

In my mood board, I used a lot more entertainment then I did with my information, although I do still check the news twice a day and watch a lot of sports news. This mood board portrays my love for expensive clothing and very nice style as well as two of my favourite drill groups.