Deadlines/Brief

Music videos are so 80s/90s, right? They belong with the era when MTV screened wall-to-wall vids instead of 'reality' TV? Try telling that to the millions who bought Gangnam Style; were they really simply loving the music? 1.6bn (and still climbing) have viewed the video on YT, not to mention the many re-makes (school eg, eg2), viral ads + celeb link-ups (even political protest in Seoul) - and it doesn't matter how legit it is, this nightmare for daydream Beliebers is making a lot of money, even from the parodies + dislikes. All this for a simple dance track that wouldn't have sounded out of place in 1990 ... but had a fun vid. This meme itself was soon displaced by the Harlem Shake. Music vids even cause diseases it seems!
This blog explores every aspect of this most postmodern of media formats, including other print-based promo tools used by the industry, its fast-changing nature, + how fans/audiences create/interact. Posts are primarily written with Media students/educators in mind. Please acknowledge the blog author if using any resources from this blog - Mr Dave Burrowes

Thursday 14 April 2016

CIE blog improvements summary

Research + Planning improvement points
(1) review/proofread, especially for presentation: well illustrated? hyperlinks? embedded material [not links to this]? no small text? clear sub-headings? embedded material? any 'TBC'? logical post order/date? 
sans spacing!
This is obviously a HORRIBLY presented post!!! Text should never be allowed to dominate on a blog post, especially a long one. It was worse until I at least added some space between points! [see screenshot fragment] Oh ... and tags! No hyperlinks, almost no imagery, nothing embedded (though clear sub-headings, font + colour + size variation...)
(2) is your journey clear? have you reflected on shoots, edits, feedback? posted alternative versions you tried in editing? evidenced FCPX/P'shop (etc) tools you used over time? is there detail on each shoot? DETAIL on each edit (what changes, why; evidence of experimenting: short scenes with different edits [eg FX]; any feedback on this cut; how this cut reflects previous feedback; tools used; planned further changes...); have you used podcasts to anchor the sense of journey? 

(3) are post titles clear and specific? have you used a numbering system? are links lists absolutely comprehensive? (examiners often skim, so links lists really help secure marks) 
(4) have you sufficiently evidenced industry research? if not, as you work on Q3/4 you could fill these gaps.  
(5) is it clear that you've APPLIED research? (mostly: NO!) try to add short but specific sub-headings like Points of Possible Influence at the top of posts considering how you might APPLY findings.  
(6) have you clearly evidenced research into conventions, so that you can re-use this for Q1? have you really covered all the areas you need - especially titles - in enough detail? 
(7) have you provided clear summaries of most topics? 
(8) Have you tagged your posts from the start? This is helpful for Eval work and finding posts, but also to evidence the range of your work for examiners 
(9) If you've shared posts, have you put the creator's initials in at the start of the post title? Have you presented the correct final post order (Welcome..., Final Cut, Digipak, Website link + sample screenshots, Reflection Q1 Conventions and Representations, ...)?
(10) *****last but definitely not least***** AUDIENCE - at any level of Media coursework (Year 10, 11, 12 or 13!) you've ALWAYS got to give clearly evidenced consideration to audience: primary AND secondary (at minimum wealth, age and gender [WAG]). At every level you will cover some audience theories, and should apply these. Your planning should VERY FREQUENTLY make reference to your target audience/s: e.g. we intend to ... as it will appeal to our primary audience (ABC1 males, 15-24). Audience is a concept that will appear in Evaluations at all levels for Media courses, as well as in exams at all levels. If you ignore this you are undermining the credibility of claims to have planned a media production!!!!!       Have a good look at the IGS examples in the Q3a guide post; they all engage with theory, but the key lesson is how they evidence their proposed audiences: surveys backed up with demographic data from magazines and other media. 

Very useful viral
It has been repeated frequently throughout the year that incorporating a viral concept would be extremely useful for coursework marks and also for exam Q1a/1b work. All of the A2 students whose answers I've embedded as examples did this, and that was reflected in exam results as well as coursework marks. If you still have time, this remains a highly advisable thing to do.


The usefulness of repetition
There is a simple way round this which I'll explain below. However, it is better to make sure you raise a point which is relevant for the question you are working on rather than thinking you've already made this point in another answer. You must fully answer each question set.

The simple workaround is to use bullets, links or a short paragraph to highlight any linked points covered in more detail in another answer - you can also state within videos that I cover [issue] in greater detail in [answer]. As a Rob Shaw example from a years back demonstrated, YouTube enables you to add hyperlinks within uploaded videos ... so he pointed at a part of the screen where he knew he would place the link and stated If you want to jump to that section, click here...
EXAMPLE: An A2 student made sure her analysis on a linked point would be credited.

Sharing work in groups

This is fine, up to a point. It is advantageous to share preparation work:

  • gathering images, clips, links
  • providing notes on points and examples
  • editing a Final Cut (or other) project file with images, clips, titles in place ready for a voiceover and sharing this (without the voiceover: just keep a separate project file for the 'template', work on your own answer in a fresh project file with this copied in)
  • identifying blogging gaps through work on an Evaluation answer and providing posts for these, or additions/corrections to existing posts - and, crucially, passing on PRECISE details (copy/paste content so its clear, and email with a link to the post/s, plus reminder of any links lists to update as a result)
BUT...
  • it has to be literally your voice
  • and moreover, you can't simply share a full script; make sure your thoughts and ideas are clearly expressed even if there is similarity between answers 
  • use/substitute some of your own examples
  • focus on your exam preparation: use points, theories and examples that will help you for your exam preparation

Evaluation ('Creative Critical Reflection') key points
1: Is it creative in any way?! 
2: Have you used multiple technologies? 
3: Have you included some self-criticism (with suggestion of what you might have done differently)? Applied critical theory? 
4: The questions + marking criteria are not identical, but are similar: have you looked at any full marks IGS student blog examples? [e.g. A2: 2014/15, bar Storm Queen (89%); AS: 2014/15 Sarah/Poppy/Tilly/Paige v high marks; Molly full marks]
5: Use the Eval work to go back and make improvements/fill gaps in your main blog 
6: Do you consistently match points on existing texts/industry with what you've done (not just Q1)? 
7: Clearly evidence you are APPLYING your research and knowledge: using links/screenshots of your own blog posts/links lists is a good idea
8: Can you develop sample 30-minute exam essays from your Eval Qs? If not, you'll struggle on point 3 and have missed a crucial means of exam preparation. 



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