Evaluation

AS and A2 Media Studies

Skills Development

Booklet

Key concepts relevant to Media Studies

Representation refers to the construction in any medium (e.g. film, television, magazines) of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other abstract concepts. Such representations may be in speech or writing as well as still or moving pictures. They may include use of stereotypes and will often focus around issues like gender, class, ethnicity, age, disability, sexuality and regional or national identity.

Genre comes from the French (and originally Latin) word for 'kind' or 'class'. The term is widely used in media theory to refer to a distinctive type of ‘text’. Contemporary media genres tend to relate to specific forms e.g. films are routinely classified (e.g. in television listings magazines) as 'thrillers', 'westerns' and so on - genres with which every adult in modern society is familiar. So too with television genres such as 'game shows' and 'sitcoms'. All of these genres will have conventions which are expected to occur within them e.g. westerns often end with a gun fight, sitcoms tend to have a self-contained storyline running for the half hour episode.

Narrative, in media terms, is the coherence/organisation given to a series of facts. Typically, a media text will have a start, middle and end with events unfolding chronologically. This is known as ‘linear narrative’. A film that plays around with this convention, such as Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ has a ‘non-linear narrative’. There are a number of theories of narrative. One of the most celebrated is that of Todorov who talks about states of equilibrium and disequilibrium in the narrative.

Media Language refers to written, verbal, non-verbal, aural and aesthetic communication and usually a combination of these. in television drama, a phone conversation between two characters in different locations can only be understood by the audience because of the relationship between the camera angles (close-ups, head and shoulder shots or longer shots showing location context), non-verbal performance (facial expressions during the phone conversation), dialogue (what the two characters say), lighting (to provide a meaningful atmosphere), editing (so that we can follow the conversation and so that continuity is correct) and sound (both diegetic and non-diegetic). We often don’t notice these and come to expect certain styles of acting, editing, filming and sound for certain types of programmes/films. This allows us to ‘read’ the media language as easily as we can understand our friends in conversations without having to recall the meaning of every word.

Audience is the group of consumers for whom the media text was constructed as well as anyone else who is exposed to the text. It is often described in terms of gender, class, ethnicity and age, particularly when referred to as a ‘target audience’.

Creativity or ‘creative skills’ operates on two levels: first, the ability to use digital technologies to make meaning so that the audience can respond easily to the text and second, the ability to engage and interest the audience. This may be by following conventions or by challenging them. Media products emerge as a result of hundreds of creative decisions. When you analyse texts you will work out what these decisions were. When you make them, you will account for and evaluate these decisions from your own personal experience.

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Reflecting on your AS production work (coursework)

At A2 you will take an exam called ‘Theoretical Evaluation of Production’, and answer a question on how your production skills have developed during the two years of the course. You will be asked to comment on how your skills have developed in one or two of the following areas:

• Digital technology• Research and Planning• Using Conventions from real media texts • Post-Production• Creativity

The pages below will help you organise your thoughts on the production work we have done so far in the course, from the Preliminary task – the college magazine, to the main task, the completed music magazine.

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Skills1: DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Digital technology here refers to both hardware (eg cameras) and software (programmes). Answer the following questions as honestly as possible: the unit asks you to reflect on how your skills have developed during the course and is not a test of how impressive your skills are. You will be rewarded for reflecting honestly and for acknowledging problems and areas for improvement.

Begin by reflecting on how experienced a user of digital technology you were at the start of the course. In the space below, write down the names of any software or hardware you used at school (or at home) to produce media texts. You may not have used any! If you have, briefly describe what you used the technology for (ie image manipulation, desktop publishing)

Overall, I am pleased, I feel I have produced a good magazine front cover and contents page. Over this process I have picked up many skills as I was not experienced with all the software we and hardware used. The first stage of this process was to take a medium close up to be on my front cover. I had not really used a professional camera before so I enjoyed using one to take a high quality image.

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AS Preliminary Task

Cover and Contents Page for a college magazine

Magazine Cover: Adobe PhotoshopAlthough this was only a short preliminary task, you have used Photoshop for this task and should have developed your skills sufficiently to be able to produce the front cover of a magazine.

Image manipulationYou will have used Photoshop to manipulate your central image (s) in some way, whether importing, cropping, or resizing, for example. Outline below the image manipulation skills used during this project.

Once I had taken the picture of my main image I had to upload it from the camera onto my computer. I then opened Photoshop and uploaded it. I had to resize it to make it smaller as the image was very large and it was not even close to fitting the page. Then I had to crop it because although it did now fit the page there was quite a bit of the image that was unnecessary. Due to this I cropped the image and then made it to fit the page. I did end up moving my image slightly to the right to put it in one of the "hotspots" and to make sure the cover lines can be read clearly. Having the central image in place was a good basis to continue the rest of my front cover as I could now develop it further.

Text manipulationYou should also have used Photoshop to create and manipulate text on your cover: changing the size, colour or position of the fonts you used, for example. Outline below the text manipulation skills you used during this project.

I used a font that was already on Photoshop as it was what I had in mind. At first my masthead was far too small and this was something that I needed to rectify. Therefore I made it much larger and it was clear that this was the masthead. This was placed at the top to follow the codes and conventions. The colours I used were blue and black because they are bold. I used blending options to improve how my text looked. The stroke option was the one I used most as it made it look modern and I believe it would appeal to the target audience. I positioned them away from the image so they were easy to read.

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Contents Page: Adobe In-DesignFor this task you have learnt how to use in-design to produce and layout a contents page. This will have involved you developing skills in areas such as structuring the layout of your page using text boxes and arranging text into columns, and also using the programme to move text and images around the page.

List below the skills you have developed using in-design in terms of page layout and text and image manipulation.

Uploading imagesText boxesText into columns Good layout of textImages in suitable placesStrokes on textMaking text bold

Digital stills cameraYou used the digital stills camera to take your photos for this project. List below any photographic skills you have used in doing this (such as framing, focus etc)

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Summarise below how pleased you are with the skills you have developed during this project. How effectively have they allowed you to produce the kind of product you wanted to produce? What further skills would you like to develop using these programmes?

Overall, I am pleased, I feel I have produced a good magazine front cover and contents page. Over this process I have picked up many skills as I was not experienced with all the software we and hardware used. At the start of the process I was apprehensive because although I knew what we were expected to produce, I was worried I would have difficulty grasping all the different software. Using things like Photoshop was new to me completely as was blogger however I enjoyed using both. I got used to blogger much more easily because I feel that it is less difficult to use but photoshop isn't too hard when you get used to it. The process required me to use lots of different skills like my photography, design and assessment skills. It has been important for me to try out all these different things so I can voice any issues or concerns I encounter. This would then help me when it comes to making my final coursework. I studied Media Studies at GCSE so was already familiar with many of the key terms although it has been really good to recap them and make sure I know them so I can then use them in both my analysis and my actual pieces of work because I will know what they mean and when to use them.

At GCSE I used software like fireworks and serif however I always felt they were quite limited and I didn’t always feel I could produce what I wanted to. So although I was a little concerned about never having used applications like software, I knew it would be worth the initial struggle. As expected I did struggle with it at first and did some pretty basic errors but I didn’t make them again and learnt from them. It was good to not make the mistake in the real thing. Another aspect of skills I had to develop was my ability to work on my own and in a group. For the first stage of the process we had to take photos in a group of four. We all had separate ideas for what we wanted so we took it in turns to take our photos, sometimes even posing for someone else's. After this we had to work on our own and produce the two pages of our magazine. I like working independently and in a group so I wasn’t too bothered about either. I learnt a great deal on most things I used and that helped me make two pages for my magazine that I was pleased with.

I am pleased with what I produced in the end but I do feel that there are improvements I could definitely make. These improvements were also felt by the person who assessed my piece. The reasons there were things I didn’t like was not because of not being able to use the software but more due to my inexperience with it. I do not like how some of the fonts look as I think it makes it look a bit tasteless and not as sophisticated as I would have liked. This is something that I can easily change in my music magazine. I did not apply the rule of thirds which is one of the other things I need to do in order to make sure my cover looks good. Also I need to make sure I fill all the hotspots for the same purpose.

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I want to develop my skills so I am capable of using all the different software at a good level as I will then not only be able to produce a good product but also because it will allow me to show I am capable of using a variety of different software to achieve this.

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AS Main Task: Music magazine cover, contents page, double page article.

Your music magazine is the main task you will do at AS, and as a result you should have developed your skills in Photoshop and in-design significantly from the preliminary task. The questions below are designed to help you record and reflect on this.

ImagesFirst, reflect on your use of the digital stills camera for your photographs. Summarise below how your skills in the use of the digital camera have developed from the preliminary task (this refers to taking photos, not image manipulation. Think about mise-en-scene, framing etc.)

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Music Magazine Cover: Adobe PhotoshopBegin by looking back at the comments you made about how you used Photoshop for your college magazine. Then consider how you have developed your skills for this exercise.

Image Manipulation:Outline below the new image manipulation skills you have developed during this project. Say what you used the skills to achieve and how pleased you are with the results.

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Text manipulationOutline below the new skills you have developed during the production of your cover. Think about all of the text manipulation you might have done, such as shadowing, etc. Again describe why you used each technique and how pleased you are with the results.

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Summary: How useful do you feel Photoshop was in enabling you to produce your magazine cover? Were there any limitations to the programme or skills you would still like to develop?

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Music magazine: InDesign

You will have used InDesign to produce your contents page for your music magazine and also for the production of your article. Use the space below to outline and reflect on any new skills you have developed.

LayoutComment on how you used in-design to layout your pages, using text boxes, columns, etc. Comment on specific tools you used and on how useful you found the programme to be.

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TextComment on how you used InDesign to position and manipulate text. Describe specific techniques you used and evaluate their usefulness for the tasks you were set (ie production of contents pages and article).

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Summary:Summary: How useful do you feel InDesign was in enabling you to produce your contents page and your article? Were there any limitations to the programme or skills you would still like to develop?

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Skills2: Research and Planning

For both your Preliminary and Main coursework tasks, you undertook both secondary and primary research. Below, you are required to reflect on this, beginning with the Preliminary task.

College magazine.Although your college magazine was a preliminary task, you should have carried out some research in order to allow you to complete the task.Outline below what your research objectives were for this task: ie exactly what it was that you needed to find out.

Outline below and discuss the usefulness of the research methods that you used during the production of the college magazine.

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Was the research that you carried out sufficient to allow you to complete the task to a satisfactory standard?

How might you improve your research skills next time?

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Outline below the planning tools you used for this task and reflect on their usefulness

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Music Magazine.Your main task is a more detailed task and as a result you should have developed and used more advanced and sophisticated research skills. You need to outline and reflect on these below.

Audience ResearchBefore producing your magazine you were required to carry out research into the tastes and interests of your audience in order to help you produce a magazine that would appeal to them.Summarise the aims and objectives of your audience research below:

Outline the research methods you used for audience research (ie questionnaires, focus groups).

Outline the different styles of questioning you employed (ie open/closed) and talk about the strengths and weaknesses of each style.

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How did you select your sample? Reflect on this.

How did you present your findings (graphs, etc.)? Reflect on this.

It is important in this unit that you show how your skills have developed. In what ways do you feel you could improve your audience research for your next piece of production work? Set clear targets for this.

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Topic ResearchIn addition to carrying out audience research you should also have carried out research into the particular genre or area of music that you made your magazine about. Outline and reflect on this below.

Begin by outlining your research objectives. What exactly was it that you wanted to find out?

Internet Research.Outline below the websites you used for your research, indicating how useful you found each to be and summarising what you found from each site.

How did you check the validity and reliability of your findings?

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List and reflect on the usefulness of any other research methods you used for your topic research below.


It is important in this unit that you show how your skills have developed. In what ways do you feel you could improve your topic research for your next piece of production work? Set clear targets for this, eg Next time I will ensure that each fact I use will have been cited by at least 2 sources.

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Skills 3 Using Conventions from real media texts

All Media genres have set of conventions that the audience expect to find in them: in a Science Fiction film, for example, we expect a certain type of setting plus spaceships, aliens, explosions, possibly battles in space. These conventions develop, however, as Media producers challenge some of the traditional conventions of texts. In the film ‘Psycho’, for example. Alfred Hitchcock unsettled and surprised his audience by having the character played by the films main star killed after 30 minutes: something Horror audiences at the time didn’t expect to happen in a horror film (or in any film, come to that.)

Before you produce any Media text you will need an understanding of the conventions of that particular genre. This unit asks you to reflect on how you have done this and how your ability to follow, or develop, the codes and conventions of the media texts you will produce has improved during the course.

College magazineWrite below the codes and conventions of college magazines. Indicate how and why you have either used, ignored or developed these in your magazine.

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Skills3 Using Conventions from real media texts

Music MagazineBefore starting to produce your music magazine you should have spent time discussing the codes and conventions of the genre in lessons. You should also, individually, have researched examples of the specific kind of music magazine you decided to produce individually. Below you should discuss what you found the main codes and conventions of your text to be, in terms of style and content. You should then reflect on the extent to which you have followed these codes and conventions and also comment on any codes and conventions that you have not followed or have tried to challenge or subvert, explaining why you have done this.Front CoverUse the grid below to reflect on how you have used or developed the codes and conventions of music magazine covers. List the main conventions and then comment on how you have used them in your cover – eg I used 2 ‘Free offer’ splashes on my cover as I feel they are important in attracting readers in a competitive market.Conventions: ContentConvention Comment

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Skills3 Using Conventions from real media texts

Conventions: StyleConvention Comment

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Skills3 Using Conventions from real media textsNow do the same for your contents pages and for your articleConventions: Content page contentConvention Comment

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Skills3 Using Conventions from real media textsConventions: contents page styleConvention Comment

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Skills3 Using Conventions from real media textsConventions: article contentConvention Comment

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Skills3 Using Conventions from real media textsConventions: Article style Convention Comment

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Skills4 Post Production

For this section of the unit you are required to describe and reflect on the post-production activities you have carried out. This refers to areas such as gaining audience feedback on your products and successfully evaluating how you have worked.

College Magazine:Outline below any methods you used to gain audience feedback (ie questionnaires, focus groups). Summarise your findings

Outline below any evaluation that took place after you completed your production. Reflect on your conclusion and the methods you used.

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Skills4 Post ProductionMusic MagazineFor your music magazine you should have spent longer on the post-production stage. Below you should reflect on this.Audience feedback

Briefly summarise why it is important to gain audience feedback on a production. To what use might the data be put?

Outline below the aims and objectives of your audience feedback. What information were you trying to obtain?

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Now describe the methods you used to gain audience feedback on your product (ie questionnaires, focus groups). Outline the methods of questioning you used within your questionnaires (ie open/closed/restricted choices) and reflect honestly on how productive these methods were.

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Summarise below your findings from your audience feedback. Having looked at this, how do you feel you could improve the quality of audience feedback you receive next time? Set clear targets, based on your experience this time around.

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Skills4 Post ProductionEvaluationOutline below the methods you used to produce an evaluation for this production (ie powerpoint presentation, essay) How useful and appropriate was this method?

How reflective do you feel you were in your evaluation?

How do you feel you might improve the quality of your evaluation for your next production?

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Skills5: Creativity

College MagazineHere you are required to reflect on your creativity during the production tasks you produce on the course. This refers to your ability to create original and good quality products.

How pleased are you with the piece you have created for this task? What elements of it are you especially pleased with?

Reflect below on the ‘creative process’ – ie how you came up with your ideas (brainstorming/looking at examples of existing practice/drafting).

What equipment was especially important in helping you to produce what you wanted to produce?

Music magazine

How pleased are you with the piece you have created for this task? What elements of it are you especially pleased with?

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Skills5: Creativity

Reflect below on the ‘creative process’ – ie how you came up with your ideas (brainstorming/looking at examples of existing practice/drafting). This may be an assessment of how you organised the photography, how you used the photographs, how you organised your layouts, the language you used, the way you drew attention to certain elements etc

What equipment was especially important in helping you to produce what you wanted to produce?

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Evaluation

Education