A2 Media Studies Guidance for writing your Evaluation

Your evaluation is marked out of 20 marks. Your research and planning is also out of 20 marks.
You will individually blog your evaluation and must make the most of digital technology that is available, such as links,
images and embedded video. You must answer all four questions that are set out below. Dont overuse the same piece
of digital technology and make sure that you are using technology that is appropriate for the question.
Its ESSENTIAL that you plan your response to each question before you start. Think carefully about which piece of tech
you feel works the best for the requirements of the question (e.g. using prezi for question 1 or 2 possibly wont work as well as
other technology given what the question is asking you to do).
Question

What should you cover?

Question 1

Music video AND Ancillary:

In what ways does

your media
products use,
develop or
challenge forms and
conventions of real
media products?

Focus on forms and conventions of music videos look

back on your blogs on Vernallis and Goodwin.

Dont forget to
write about your
ancillary products
too!

Digital Technology some suggestions

Upload your music video to youtube

(minus the sound-track) using the
class username and password for the
blog and use google annotations
to provide an explanation of how your
have used conventions of music
videos. (This bit can be done as a
group).

Identify which of their main ideas youve followed

in your video.

Which video(s) were you influenced by and why?

Present screen shots from your video next to
screen shots from real videos to illustrate this.

What aspect of the video influenced you - was it

the editing, use of camerawork, or perhaps the
some other aspect of its visual style. Present clips
from your video alongside clips from real videos
using Camtasia.

Screen casting using Camtasia

comparing clips from your video with
shots from real music videos;
comparing your ancillary work with
real examples.

Links to youtube videos (including

the timings) that have influenced you
or ideally embedded video clips.

Screen shots from videos that have

in some way influenced you alongside
screenshots from your own video
showing how you have either used,
developed or challenged ideas.

Images of Digipaks and websites

that have influenced the style and

Did you decide to challenge the conventions of the

genre of video for some reason?
Be specific and detailed about this.

Dont forget that you must also refer to your ancillary

products too:

How conventional are your digipak/band website?

What conventions did you decide to use and which

did you decide to challenge in some ways?

Question 2

Provide screen shots of real ancillary texts

alongside your ancillary texts to illustrate how
youve used conventions.

Video clip of yourself discussing this

question, or a voice over explanation
over video of the videos that
influenced you.

A successful music video will make clear visual links

between it and its ancillary products (digipak/band
website).

Collage or mural of the visual links

using images of your ancillary and
your embedded video from Vimeo;

Screen shots illustrating the direct

visual links between the products;

Links to work that influenced you.

Video clip of yourself addressing this

question.

Screen casting demonstrating how

youve used elements of real
digipaks/band websites in your
production work.

Thinglink collage or Padlet collage

How effective is the

combination of your
main product
Look back on your blog about synergy how did
(video) and ancillary
you plan to use synergy in your production pieces?
texts (digipak /band
In this question you must examine how well you think
website /
your promotional package does this.
advertisement)?
What aspects of the video link with the
Digipak/Band Website?

Question 3
How did you use
media technologies
in the construction
and research,
planning and
evaluation stages?

design of yours.

How can your audience recognise them as linked

products?

How successful do you think your main and

ancillary texts are?

Do you think your target audience would be

attracted to them? If so why? If not, why?

Compare with existing products to illustrate how

youve used synergy.

Remember to think about all aspects of media

technology that youve used during this project:

brand new state of the art video cameras using

memory cards;

blogger- research, planning and evaluation;

apps and websites used in conjunction with blogger

to display your work;

DO NOT USE PREZI for this question.

Screen casting demonstration of

you using a particular edit in PrPro or
Photoshop/InDesign;

Screen shots of editing screen in

PrPro illustrating how you have used a
particular edit or function of the

This question is
asking you HOW
you used
technology its
not asking you to
just list the
pieces of tech
that you used.
NB a Tripod is
NOT a piece of
TECHNOLOGY!!

twitter and Instagram to keep your teachers

updated with your filming progress;

internet for research purposes think about the

sites that youve used such as YouTube etc;

Photoshop and/or InDesign and/or Wix/Weebly for

the construction of your ancillary products
remember which packages youve used for which
product as these are two very different
programmes!

package.

Make sure that youve embedded your

animatic or digital storyboard.

Voice-over in place of written text

could be used you could record a
voice-over that explains how you
used the technology that can be
placed over a small video of the
technology in question.

Time Toast an account of the

development of the use of technology
in all stages of your production work.

Premiere Pro for editing did you use any

particular effects, for example?
o Green screen

Dont forget to
write about your
ancillary
production work
too!

Question 4

o Colour grading

Do not just put lots of pictures of the

various pieces of software/equipment
that you used you must say HOW you
used it.

What have you

learned from your
audience feedback?
You must include
audience
feedback on your
ancillary products
too.

Did you make an animatic and a digital storyboard?

Screen shot of
Photoshop/InDesign/Wix/Weebly
showing how you constructed your
Digipak/Band website. Dont forget
that youve also used blogger itself.

Start by looking back at the feedback you got

during the editing process (including the rough cut
screening) and reflect on the changes that you
made to your final edit in light of this. Think about
why you made the changes and how important the
audience feedback was for you.
How did the audience in the cinema react to your
video? Analyse one or two comments that you
received during the class analysis of the videos,
focusing on potential changes or improvements
how could/would you change your product in
relation to this feedback? It is important that you

Link to Vimeo with audience ratings.

Vox Pops of audience feedback on

your video. Try and record peoples
reactions to your video during the
cinema screening or outside the
cinema at the end.

Include your own comments on

peoples reactions remember the
question is asking you what youve
learned.

Make a short documentary about

think about what you have learned about what

your audience said about your products and not
simply listed what they say! Really reflect back on
whether it makes you look at your products in a
different light.

Think about the reaction that your video got when

it was screened in the cinema.

Show your ancillary work to its target audience

ask them what they think works and doesnt work.
Ask your audience how effectively youve
incorporated synergy into your production pieces.

your trip to the cinema on arrival,

the reaction of the audience to your
video when they watch it and the
reaction of the audience after the
screening.

Record your audience responding

to your ancillary products. Upload
your ancillary products to a fan-site
and ask for feedback on its
effectiveness.