3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
In order to answer this question creatively, I have created a Slides presentation: https://slides.com/carin-alexandrabejenaru/pds
In my opinion, my production skills developed immensely throughout my journey towards a final product - BONBON. It was not the first time I worked in PhotoShop or Illustrator, although I had many 'firsts' this school year in regards to Media Studies.
During the Preliminary Work stage of my blog, I learned much more about tools and shortcuts in PhotoShop. I learned how to edit an image professionally - how to remove imperfections, how to make the most use out of tools such as the Magic Wand tool, the Background Eraser tool, Clone Stamp tool, and many more. It is safe to say that it went smoothly because of the previous practice I had, and that my skills have been perfected and I can confidently say I know how to work in PhotoShop. In Illustrator I had much less experience in comparison to PhotoShop, as I have only done a couple of posters before actually using Illustrator for much more authentic purposes. For example, I learned how to make a 'dollar' effect on my photos, and I have used that knowledge to create my preliminary work. I have learned the pros and cons to using these two apps and I have learned how to merge elements from PhotoShop with elements from Illustrator in an artistic manner.
When I got to the Research and Planning part, I must admit I felt a bit helpless. I had no previous knowledge of how to analyse effectively a photo - much less a magazine. I struggled with realizing why I liked how a page looked, instead of just saying 'I like this'. However, by analyzing the three magazines, I managed to train myself to ask myself questions about each magazine page and take this information with me onward towards the Planning stage. While planning, I had a bunch of different ideas that I had to sort through and organise so that I would be left with the best ones. Once this was done, I think that the flatplans helped greatly in such a way that after I made them, my vision of how I wish BONBON to look was clearer than ever in my mind. Regarding photoshoots, I think that the one thing I would do differently would be planning them way more in advance, and it is not enough to only write them in my blog, as I will not always have the blog to look at. Next time, I would write them in the planner I carry with me all the time, so that in case something changes. for example if it is postponed, or I think of another prop or composition for the photographs, I can note it down so that I don't lose my ideas. My photography skills have gotten better as well - I am more aware of a better angle, a better exposure setting, better location for each photo I take and I also take way more photos when having a photoshoot! I find this to be a very important change, as at the end of a photoshoot, I would have 359+ photos to choose from. I think that during Coursework Development I improved the most, as I started working in LightRoom and InDesign - a first for me. In LightRoom I learned how to develop a photo properly, the difference between hue and temperature, editing blacks & whites, highlights & shadows and so on... In InDesign, I kept on trying new compositions for each page, layered text with geometrical forms, moved things around the page a lot of times. I feel like most of all, by trying these new programs, I developed my perseverance and patience, so that I found the motivation to ask 'What if I would do this instead?' and see it through instead of saying 'Whatever, it's fine like this'. It is very important, as a magazine editor, to keep looking for new authentic ways to create a compelling composition on all pages of the magazine, and I feel like I achieved that with BONBON.
Overall, I have also developed a skill I would not have thought I would have developed in Media Studies - consistency. Because of my blog, I learned how to post consistently, as well as to write formally and explain properly what I am doing and the motive behind everything I do. As an introvert, I do not really like sharing, but by making this blog and updating it constantly, I managed to open up properly and it helped me analyse what I do more in depth.
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