my AS media studies coursework production diary

2. A2 Media Studies
Foundation Portfolio
Production Diary
Progress update Plan for next month/week
Week 1 In the first week we were introduced into AS media Syllabus
components and different and our possible coursework tasks.
After discussion we have chosen to design magazines. Our
magazine shall contain a front page, a content page and a two
sided Article. This coursework option is the most suitable because
I would be able to master necessary skills in magazines design and
production.
• Coursework summary.
• Preliminary task: start with
school magazine primary
research.
• Secondary research into existing
school magazine front covers
and content pages Create
PowerPoint presentation with.
Week 2 This week I have done my primary research in the form of a
questionnaire. I have converted my results into pie charts whose
information I shall use to help my own magazine. Furthermore I
have critically analyzed school magazine front covers and content
pages.
• Complete primary and
secondary research
• Front cover and content page
rough draft design
Week 3 i have completed my questionnaires and information analysis. I
have completed my rough draft of front cover on Microsoft
publisher and have chosen the direction of my magazine.
• Continue front over and
content page development
creating final mock-up for
final draft
• Organize and plan photo
shoot
• Props and equipment
• Finish front cover and content
page final drafts
Week 4 During this week I have focused on making the front cover and
content page rough draft using the information gathered. I have
improved from the last draft of my front cover and content page.
Once I was satisfied with my improvements I had completed a
photo-shoot session I had carried out in 3 days, the front cover
picture was the most difficult to take as it was the main focus of
the magazine. It took me considerable time to organize the photo
shoot and overcome unexpected difficulties. I have also used the
school photo library to add to my photo selection.
• Select final images for cover
and content page
• Start with final design using
Photoshop and InDesign
software

3. Foundation Portfolio
Production Diary
Week 5 I have started with my preliminary final production this
week, I have started with front cover design using
Photoshop with following my rough draft for guidance . The
main problem I had encountered was adjusting the image
and font sizes. The pace was slower then I expected since his
was my first time using Photoshop.
• To complete content page
• To finalize front cover layout, make a
final draft
• Evaluate and summarize preliminary
task production
Week 6 With this being the final week of the preliminary task due
to the deadline I had completed the content page and I have
summarized the production. This week was very difficult for
me as I had to complete a lot of research for my
presentation on which I will upload on my blog next week.
While designing my content page I have encountered
certain issues such as the design features I wanted to keep
the same so I had difficulties with exact measurements.
• Look at existing media blogs
• Plan and prepare blog design
• Have necessary graphical elements need
on a blog
• Upload preliminary task presentations
• Research to set up my own blog
Week 7 I have decide to use Wordpress as it is easy to use and setup
and it is visually attractive. I decide to use self portrait of
myself as my blog background which I have edited myself in
a trendy black and white graffiti style. I had accidentally
made two separate blogs without realizing it and had
worked on both. I have looked at other existing blogs and
have noticed what templates they used and have decide to
use my own picture to make it more personal.
• Brain storming potential main task
magazine ideas
• Research into existing magazine front
covers, content pages, double spread
articles, design conventions
• Critical analysis of each front cover,
content page and double spread
• Research into publishing companies and
institutions
Week 8 After consulting my teacher and classmates I have decided
my final magazine portfolio design task will be on gaming
magazine because I read them regularly and I am familiar
with their designs and contents and because I often play
video games so it is on of my passions and it will make it
easier for me to really work hard. After I have researched
existing gaming magazines I have chosen to analyze them
in order to see and compare the conventions and styles used
in the gaming magazine industry. I wanted to lean what
makes them desirable to the gaming consumers. I will apply
• Continue with my publishing company
research, magazine demographics and
target audience research

4. A2 Media Studies
Foundation Portfolio
Production Diary
Progress update Plan for next month/week
Week 9 This week I have completed my front cover, content page and
double spread articles comparisons to learn the differences
between gaming magazines. And I have also completed
publishing companies research and I have realized that they
all publish different text and how they target their audience.
I have completed my own primary research on the gaming
industry demographics, this was very useful as I can refer to
it when I make making my own magazine. Using secondary
research my primary task was to find out my who my typical
consumer will be. To create and process my survey for my
primary research I have used survey monkey. Thanks to this I
have made my own consumer profile which I will target when
making my own magazine.
• Final week of research and retouching
research presentations
• Uploading onto a blog
• Starting with pre-production and
planning
Week 10 This week I have fully completed my research on the gaming
industry as I have looked into the gaming publishing
companies and learned about which types of magazines they
are publishing and what are their consumer demographics in
order to help me choose mine for my main magazine. this
week I have devoted myself fully to research and completed
my research summary.
•Uploading on a blog
•Starting with pre-production and
planning
Week 11 This week I have successfully set up my blog and have
designed it in Word press, using an original image as my
background. There was a difficulty as I had accidentally made
two blogs and designed them both at the same time without
realizing it, thus wasting time. I have also begun my pre-
production research by critically analyzing gaming
magazines that inspire me.
•Potential magazine name research
•Font research
Week 12 This week I have conducted a questionnaire and asked 20
people to decide my magazine name from the options I had
selected. In this poll the name OutSider had won so I have
chosen it. As for my font research I have researched the fonts
•Main image Research
•Double spread article research

5. A2 Media Studies
Foundation Portfolio
Production Diary
Progress update Plan for next month/week
Week 13 Week I have researched on what to do for my main image
and have come up with a dozen good and bad ideas, however
I have decided to keep it related to my main article. After I
have created a mind map for my main article I have chosen to
do an interview as it would be the easiest to write and take
pictures for.
•Pitch presentation
Week 14 I have finished my pitch presentation that will help sell my
magazine as it answers important questions such as what
type of magazine am I making and why, who is my target
audience and why, what does my magazine have to offer to
readers and the draft ides I might base my magazine one.
there were no major difficulties creating this presentation, as
it helped me realize more clearly what my goal was and what
I wanted to achieve by making my magazine.
•The first rough drafts for the:
•Front cover
•Content page
•Double spread article
Week 15 This week I have completed the first rough drafts for my
gaming magazine front cover, content page and double
spread article. Although I had previously completed
research on existing gaming magazines I had trouble
visualizing my own therefore it was more difficult than
expected and these rough drafts are only to consulted not
strictly followed.
•Begin the second drafts for the content
page front cover and double spread article,
this time making them similar to the final
design
Week 16 This week I have created my final rough draft front cover in
Microsoft publisher, basing it on other magazines that have
an interview as their main article, however I have roughly
decided my articles as well as their placement. I have also
decide to use a medium shot to show of my model. This week
I have completed and deconstructed my final draft front
cover.
•Do the same for the content page

6. A2 Media Studies
Foundation Portfolio
Production Diary
Progress update Plan for next month/week
Week 17 this week I have done the same as the last but only for the
content page. However this week was not very successful as
after I have deconstructed my content page draft I have
realized I was unsatisfied with the final design and have
decide to remodel it in publisher in a very simple and easy to
follow ways as the first draft was too unconventional and
visually unattractive.
•Complete my rough drafts , the double
spread one
•Write the article
Week 18 This week I have completed my article after I have met up
with the interviewee. I have asked relevant questions abut his
life and career and got entertaining and understandable
answer in return. I have based my final rough draft of a
interview article from another magazine genre as the gaming
interview articles are very rare.
•Finish my drafts presentation
•Begin my photo shoot
•Find props
Week 19 I have completed my presentation on my drafts, however I
could not start with my photo shoot this week due to my own
mismanagement of props and the bad weather conditions. To
make up for this I have used this week to research interview
articles and front covers in order to find an inspiration to
base mine off.
•Begin and complete photo shoot for the
front cover, content page and double
spread article
•Begin working in Photoshop on final
designs
Week 20 This week I have set up and completed my photo shoot as I
have gathered my cast and crew I have taken the desired
picture using the wanted shot types and utilizing the props. I
have chosen to the best f my abilities. I have made all the
images relevant and attractive to the consumers, I have
chosen a young male as my model so my main demographic
can relate. I have begun to work in adobe Photoshop for my
final front cover
•Finish my final front cover design

7. A2 Media Studies
Foundation Portfolio
Production Diary
Progress update Plan for next month/week
Week 21 This whole week I have worked in Photoshop in order to
complete my final front cover. It was difficult to choose from
the selection of images and there was an issue later with
deciding on the background. However all my articles are
attractive and relevant to my consumers and I have decided
to base my magazine on a white, black and red color
composition as I believe it is very eye-catching and visually
pleasing.
•Complete my final content page designs
Week 22 This week I have again worked all week in adobe Photoshop
in order to complete and perfect my gaming magazine
content page. There wasn’t an issue with the articles or
images and the masthead design was the same as for the
front cover. However I did have a problem with the layout as
it was hard to make all the articles clearly visible and easy to
read.
•Complete the final double spread article
design
Week 23 I have completed my final double spread article design this
week. It was hard to as I had to choose the right image to
Photoshop into a negative in order to fit in with my color
scheme and design ideas. The image had to be just personal
enough so the readers would connect but not to invasive or
forced. Arranging the articles and designing the masthead
also took considerable amount of time due to arranging it.
•Complete the production presentation
•Begin the evaluation presentation
Week 24 I have completed my production presentation by critically
analyzing all of my drafts and final works as well as including
step by step process of creating the front cover. After
deconstructing my final versions of the front cover, content
page and double spread article all that's left is to do the
evaluation. I have begun by gather data in terms of the
audiences feedback on my final version of my gaming
magazine.
•Finish gaming magazine evaluation

8. A2 Media Studies
Foundation Portfolio
Production Diary
Progress update Plan for next month/week
Week 25 In this final week I have completed my evaluation by
answering the necessary questions required and making he
presentation as visually appealing as my designing abilities
allowed me too through the inclusion of pie charts, pictures
and a spider diagram. This is the final eek so all of my AS
media coursework will have been uploaded onto my blog.
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