Media A2 Advanced Portfolio

Evaluation.
Emma Brookbanks
Candidate Number: 7040
 In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?

Conventions:
To understand the forms and conventions of real The conventions of a
media products, I watched different documentary are:
documentaries, to gain some visual experience of ->Informative
what was expected within a documentary. ->Interviews
I watched ‘The boy who’s skin fell off’ and ‘My Big ->Factual Information
Fat Gypsy Wedding’ in great detail, although two ->Voiceovers
very different subject matters they both shared ->Actual Footage
familiar conventions which I than based my ->Use of text/titles
production on. ->Technical Conventions
-Lighting
Challenging Conventions:
->Voiceovers I have aimed to challenge the standard convention through not only using
myself as the narrator but also I have included a phone call of which adds a more creative
aspect to my production.

->Technical conventions I have challenged the use of technical conventions such as

equipment and similar products which would be used to film real media products, though
using cheaper and less established equipment.
 Text in unconventional ways:

->Text/titles I have approached in a more

unconventional way as I have handwritten
statistics on whiteboards opposed to
using plain titles in post production
editing.

Developing Conventions:
->Informative, the main focus of my documentary is to inform my viewers of my viewpoint on the
topic of tuition fees, I have built my project predominantly on the convention of being informative.

->Interviews, in addition to being an informative piece the main body of my project is interviews
with students and academic figures in order to adhere to the conventions of a documentary and to
provide a rich product.

->Factual information is a standard aspect of my documentary as I have used newspaper articles

and statistics from universities based upon their student admissions in 2011/2012. However I feel if
I was to revisit my production I think that by including more statistical evidence would supply a
more reliable aspect to my production.

->Library/actual footage, I have used actual footage of riots to add a spin to the often stiff topic of
fees, this shows the normal convention of library footage but in a juxtaposed approach.
 How effective is the combination of your main product and
ancillary texts?

->My three products are closely linked through audience research and the way in
which I have aimed to attract my audience, I have used similar techniques within all
three in order to appeal to the same target audience, in this case students. They all
have a hard hitting message which I feel captures the feisty characteristics of many
students today.

->I have also used both images and audio of riots within all three of my production
pieces in order to present a continuous theme throughout.

->Another technique which I have used in order to create an effect package of

productions is the concept of layering to create rich products.
 How effective is the combination of your main product and
ancillary texts? Broken glass indicates
violence within the
Newspaper Advert: Documentary e.g. Riots.
Student in black and
white shows how we
are pushed aside and its
just about money.

Tag line to pose a

question and to engage
audience interest.

Money in colour draws

the audiences attention Channel 4 is used in
to the issue of money. both ancillary texts as a
link.
Marketing
->I have decided to use channel 4 to market my documentary as they are already popular and successful
and known for showing unusual documentaries such as ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.’ making my potential
target audience already viewers of Channel 4.

->In order to promote my documentary though the use of ancillary I have inserted the channel 4 logo
onto my newspaper advert to create a professional piece. In addition to this I used audio to indentify
within my radio advert where and when my documentary would be showed to link them all together.
 What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Changing Ideas: Focus Group

Audience feedback allowed me to change my A2
production from my original idea of a T.V. Advert
to a Documentary on tuition fees.
Newsreader
presenting my topic.
I carried out a focus group between a hand full
of my peers to see their points of views on my
final production.
The main criticism was a lack of governmental
information, a few said they hoped to have
seen an interview or email from them.

The foremost praise my production received

was for my opening sequence and they way in
which it was edited.

A suggestion – Use an
aeroplane to accompany
phone call.
 What have you learned from your audience feedback?
->13% said that the increase
in fees did not effect the ->89% of
choice to continue to apply to students said
university. they were
Questionnaire:
1. Are you planning to apply to university? seriously
2. Are you taking a gap year? concerned about
3. If no, Would you have taken one before the increase in fees? the debt they will
4. Does the increase in fees concern you? face after
5. Have they at all put you off going to university? university.
6. Do you think they are justified?
7. Do you university places will now be more competitive?
8. Do you think universities should be allowed to charge top
fees?
9. Are you now concerned about your place at university?
10. How do you feel you will cope with the debt?
->67% felt that
they would have
taken a gap
year if the fees ->8% of my peers had decided
were not to not to go to university purely
increase in based on the issue of money
2012.
How did you use media technologies in the construction and
research, planning and evaluation stages?

Media Technologies used during

Research:
->Internet – online newspaper
articles.

->Television – Documentaries,
broaden my perspective.

->Blog – The use of polls and

Questionnaire.
How did you use media technologies in the construction and
research, planning and evaluation stages?
Media Technologies used during
Construction:
->Video Camera – To successfully
film.
->Tripod – For professional shot.
->Apple Mac – In order to edit my
final piece.
->Mobile Phone/ Bluetooth – To
record and send the audio.
->Photoshop – To
->iMovie – To import my footage. edit Newspaper
->Final Cut Express – The software Advert.
for editing.
->Quicktime – To convert my
production.
->Internet – Youtube.com and
Keepvid.com
 How did you use media technologies in the construction and
research, planning and evaluation stages?
Final Cut Express – Soften
and distort the image, also
black and white tools

Tripod – To create a high

angle shot.
Photoshop – To
change my
university response
to declined.
How did you use media technologies in the construction and
research, planning and evaluation stages?

Media Technologies used during

Planning

->Blogger – Online Diary.

->Apple Mac – Record

Commentaries.

-> Google – To plan statistics and

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

Media Technologies used during

Evaluation:

->Microsoft PowerPoint – In order to

construct my evaluation.

->Apple Mac Webcam – Audio

evaluation of Ancillary Texts.

-> Internet and Television –

comparing to others.