Friday, 7 May 2010
Thursday, 3 December 2009
AS Media Evaluation Questions
The evaluation is an essential part of your coursework. Last year, a lot of people lost marks because their evaluation was weak, but actually it’s an easy way to pick up extra marks.
To do your evaluation for your preliminary task, answer the following questions (except for q7, which isn’t relevant until the end of the main task) in your blog in paragraphs, approximately 50-100 words long, using the questions as headings for the blog posts (see examples below):
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
According to my research, contemporary school magazine covers feature a student or group of students participating in a real, unposed school activity. I followed that convention in as much as I used a medium shot of a student in a school context, but I wanted my magazine to look more like a commercial lifestyle magazine (such as More or Cosmopolitan). This was because I think my readership are bombarded by media products and so have developed more sophisticated tastes. Therefore I got my model to pose and added effects to give it the feel of a glossy lifestyle magazine.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My cover shows a sixteen-year old girl scoring a goal in netball, with the 1950s school building in the background. The girl looks strong, healthy and skilful, and so I think this represents teenage girls as athletic, competent and wholesome. However it might also suggest that the girls at this surburban state school are traditional because of their enthusiasm for traditional female sports and compliant with the school system, as they play by rules, rather than the rebellious stereotype sometimes portrayed in the media.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I don’t think any of the traditional media institutions would distribute my school magazine because the market for school magazines is limited to members of the one school, and so it wouldn’t be economically viable. However local newspaper groups, such as the Newshopper, may be interested in distributing it for free as a supplement if they could put advertising in it, as free local papers depend on advertising revenues.
4. Who would be the audience of your media product?
The audience for my school magazine would primarily be sixth-form girls at the school, as I think they are under-served by existing school media products: the newsletter is aimed at a general audience of school members but with a bias towards parents and consequently a rather restrained tone. I wanted to produce something more vibrant and edgy for my peers who are old enough to have grown up concerns, but young enough to want something very colourful.
5. How did it attract/address your audience?
I deliberately chose content (see contents page) that reflected their concerns, such as the ball and exam stress, and presented them in a lifestyle magazine way that they would be familiar with and attracted to. The play on words in the title suggests a sharp, humorous angle and the cover model is attractive and stylishly made up and dressed, which my readers would instinctively feel reflected their own self-image. However the sub-headings about exam stress suggest some serious content inside, which appeals to their own fears and curiosity.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
In constructing this product I have learned how to use search engines (google images) to find examples of school magazines. I have learnt how to create a blog (using www.blogger.com) and upload images to it, and I have learned how to edit and add text and effects to images in Paintshop Pro. I’ve learnt that using these technologies requires a great deal of time and experimentation, and that I need to be very patient when I edit photos, sometimes having to do it pixel by pixel. I’ve learned that the software has its limitations and that it’s necessary to take a number of sharp, well-composed images first.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what have you learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
To do your evaluation for your preliminary task, answer the following questions (except for q7, which isn’t relevant until the end of the main task) in your blog in paragraphs, approximately 50-100 words long, using the questions as headings for the blog posts (see examples below):
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
According to my research, contemporary school magazine covers feature a student or group of students participating in a real, unposed school activity. I followed that convention in as much as I used a medium shot of a student in a school context, but I wanted my magazine to look more like a commercial lifestyle magazine (such as More or Cosmopolitan). This was because I think my readership are bombarded by media products and so have developed more sophisticated tastes. Therefore I got my model to pose and added effects to give it the feel of a glossy lifestyle magazine.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My cover shows a sixteen-year old girl scoring a goal in netball, with the 1950s school building in the background. The girl looks strong, healthy and skilful, and so I think this represents teenage girls as athletic, competent and wholesome. However it might also suggest that the girls at this surburban state school are traditional because of their enthusiasm for traditional female sports and compliant with the school system, as they play by rules, rather than the rebellious stereotype sometimes portrayed in the media.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I don’t think any of the traditional media institutions would distribute my school magazine because the market for school magazines is limited to members of the one school, and so it wouldn’t be economically viable. However local newspaper groups, such as the Newshopper, may be interested in distributing it for free as a supplement if they could put advertising in it, as free local papers depend on advertising revenues.
4. Who would be the audience of your media product?
The audience for my school magazine would primarily be sixth-form girls at the school, as I think they are under-served by existing school media products: the newsletter is aimed at a general audience of school members but with a bias towards parents and consequently a rather restrained tone. I wanted to produce something more vibrant and edgy for my peers who are old enough to have grown up concerns, but young enough to want something very colourful.
5. How did it attract/address your audience?
I deliberately chose content (see contents page) that reflected their concerns, such as the ball and exam stress, and presented them in a lifestyle magazine way that they would be familiar with and attracted to. The play on words in the title suggests a sharp, humorous angle and the cover model is attractive and stylishly made up and dressed, which my readers would instinctively feel reflected their own self-image. However the sub-headings about exam stress suggest some serious content inside, which appeals to their own fears and curiosity.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
In constructing this product I have learned how to use search engines (google images) to find examples of school magazines. I have learnt how to create a blog (using www.blogger.com) and upload images to it, and I have learned how to edit and add text and effects to images in Paintshop Pro. I’ve learnt that using these technologies requires a great deal of time and experimentation, and that I need to be very patient when I edit photos, sometimes having to do it pixel by pixel. I’ve learned that the software has its limitations and that it’s necessary to take a number of sharp, well-composed images first.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what have you learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Monday, 16 March 2009
Blogger now working for pupils too
Thanks to the ICT technicians and I, the children can now sign into blogger.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)