Panashe Sibanda Blog

Digital technology can be described as a form of device or software that helps us to create a form of media. It allows us as audiences to become the creators and lets us test our creative capabilities. During AS, I was given an preliminary task to create a magazine for a college and I had no further knowledge of digital technology past what I was doing before AS which was taking pictures with my smartphone. During production, I used a canon camera with no proper knowledge on its full capabilities and did research on how to layer a typical magazine. I then used adobe photoshop to edit the photo but all that was done was render the image and remove the background. My skills from my AS preliminary task to my AS music magazine had greatly improved and i had gained a much better understanding of digital technology. Once again, I was still using photoshop and indesign but I was much better with it. I had learnt how to properly render images and make them smooth as well as take full adva...

Conventions as 'rules' have purpose in which they can be either followed or broken. They can be reinvented in ordered to keep from being repetitive and add a sense of originality. My understanding of the use and purpose of semiotics was lacking in AS, but when it came to A2, through my research I have gained a much deeper understanding.  I created a music magazine front cover, contents page and double page spread in AS last year. The magazine was in the rap genre and I had to follow a set of codes and conventions typical of rap magazines by looking at other examples. The layout and structure of my magazine was inspired by The Source. The style and positioning of my masthead was very big, bold and took up a third of the front cover. The semiotics, in relation to color, however were not followed. The Source magazine I took inspiration from used Reds, whites and yellows which were meant to present a sense of boldness whereas my magazine used purples and blacks. I did this to a...