Preliminary Task

For our preliminary task, we had to produce the front page and the contents page of a new school/college magazine. These had to include photographs of students and appropriately laid out text.

My magazine was a magazine especially for sixth formers, to help guide them through the changes that they would experience as they moved on from year 11 and into year 12. For example, one of the main features of my magazine was "How to create the perfect work and revision timetable!" which was clearly stated on both the front cover and the contents page of my magazine.

For the front cover of my magazine, I thought carefully about what exactly I wanted it to convey and how this would reflect the way in which already established school magazines go about their choosing design and layout. For example, the main photograph on the front page features students of different ethnical backgrounds/races laughing and seemingly having fun. I wanted to use a picture like this to show that sixth form isn't all about work, it's an experience in itself because it's so different from school is when you are in the lower years. I chose to photograph students of different races to show that the school has an openness and welcomes cultural variation. I also felt that this picture showed the students seeming a lot more independent, which is typical of sixth formers. Despite wanting the photograph to look happy and fun, I made sure that the students in the photograph were carrying books, to show that school work is still extremely important if you hope to do well. Clearly a school magazine wants to give off the impression that it has hard working students, so this is why I made sure the students had hold of some text books and exercise books. In additio

n to the books they were carrying, one of the students was carrying an apple and another was carrying a bottle of water. I added these into the picture to try and get across the idea that the school promotes a healthy lifestyle. Finally, I wanted the school to seem as perfect as possible, so I made the students pose in front of a green area, to try and show that the school is environmentally friendly. I have included the school logo on the front cover of my magazine and consistently used the school colours (black, white and red) on both the front page and the contents

page. I have used mostly the same font on both pages as well. The language I have employed clearly surrounds the subject of school and the sixth form. This is shown through words such as, "revision timetable" and "UCAS".
The front cover of my magazine follows the conventional ways of stereotypical school magazines by the way in which it really tries to show off the school and make it sound and look as perfect as possible.
The contents page of my magazine has a very simple but structured layout which I would assume to find in most school magazines. I decided to include a quote from the Principal of the school because a Principal is the most authoratative figure to be giving information and advice in a magazine that not only students read, but possibly parents read as well.

When I get onto the main part of my coursework task, there are a few things I would like to do differently to how I have done them in my preliminary task. For example, I will obviously be spending a lot more time on my main task and I will create several drafts before I create my final piece. I think time is the main factor in making a magazine look professional. I will also pay much more attention to detail, such as the width of the margins and font types so that the magazine is consistently presented. I won't leave anything looking slightly unfinished either (which is how I feel my pre-lim piece looks) because this makes the magazine look as if it has just been thrown together quickly and without much care.