(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?
How do your products engage with the audience and how would they be distributed as real media products?
This ('3a') is similar to the UK OCR Eval Q3, which looks at the narrower issue of audience feedback - but in practice is essentially an overview of engagement with the audience.
KEY POINTS:
provide a very clear, specific breakdown of your primary and secondary target audiences
screenshots from blog posts/links lists are useful to help hammer home you are APPLYING research (assuming you have!)
set out the web 2.0 framework: how has digitisation changed the way artists engage with audiences? If you're covering this is more detail for another answer, say so but give a brief summary
consider the mode of address of your texts: direct gaze to camera? use of I/we/you/us in any writing? direct invite to interact with the artist? the look (branding) of costume, choice of locations: distant/ultra-glamorous or humble/relatable (maybe a mix)? implied representation of audience in the video or elsewhere? intertextuality?
did you include a viral element in the digipak and website? (you really, really should) discuss in detail if so
website and social media: how widely did you exploit modern tools to engage with the audience and how - include plentiful examples, and detail any branding involved. audience feedback? research or feedback on early ideas? use fansites? Facebook groups? Twitter/Instagram hashtags?
IF you got any responses (the 2015 A2 Lady Gaga is a great example - they ended with 100s of followers) were these useful, productive? SHOULD artists be close to audiences or maintain more of a mystique?
sum up: did you engage successfully/as well as you might? is there anything you can now say you should have done?
UK EQUIVALENT STUDENT ANSWERS
CIE Q3b is fairly similar to the OCR (UK) Q3. Here are some examples:
compare the thoroughness of links lists with yours...
Kate (see below) smartly made sure her understanding of points linked to other answers would be credited
Amber: popstar/Madonna clone Lady Gaga
This isn't so well presented, and would clearly benefit from more substantial engagement with audience theory, but is especially useful as an example of depth of engagement with audiences. This production partnership (here's Conal's) made extensive use of social media, attracting a sizeable following, dipped into fancies, and took every opportunity to test out their work with a variety of audiences, consistently noting the response and their thoughts and consequent planned actions.
CIE Q2: How do the elements of your production work together to create a sense of branding?
This is very similar to the UK OCR Q2, which considers how well the 3 components work as an overall package.
PREPARATION FOR THIS ANSWER:
Research existing examples: look at some examples of a single act/artist's website/album cover/video and assess how tightly integrated (in mood/tone, not just direct visuals) they are or aren't. You could discuss how likely it is that videos especially would be directly linked to digipak or website design (usually multiple videos for any album, often from different directors...).
Create a grid with 3 columns: video, digipak, website/online (you could split online [social media] into a 4th).
Start with video and note any feature which is replicated or similar in 1 or both of the other 2 (include branding for YouTube, Twitter etc profiles with website). Take screenshots as you go for use in answer.
Work through digipak and online content too, check if there's anything you missed (there may be some links just between these 2 but not video).
Think again: consider the mode of address, maybe in/formal, humble/brash, accessible/distant ... what MOOD have you created? (the visual links may not be so direct, so you may not have considered branding like this)
Review your notes - can you see themes/issues you can link together? Can you see opportunities to apply theories (eg web 2.0, intertextuality, postmodernism more widely)?
Organise your response into clear sections/themes.
You could also seek audience feedback: question a sample, ask them to describe the brand image.
Provide a short summary: this should include your thoughts on how you might have improved on this!
SIMPLE SUGGESTED STRUCTURE FOR YOUR ANSWER:
Discuss, with examples, how typical or not it is to tightly integrate 3 distinct media formats (you'll find examples that do and examples that don't!) - do websites especially tend to change to reflect new releases (yes!).
Brief outline of the artist's existing brand and likely audience.
Brief outline of the brand and likely audience you were aiming for. If it helps, what product (or other existing artist) would you compare this brand to?!
For creative content, consider what brands/products this artist might agree to advertise, which company would pay them to be a 'brand spokesperson' (and create an ad!). Interview with (or promo package by) a design agency and their creative team.
Outline the links between your texts, taking 1 clear theme at a time, and thoroughly illustrating how these link across 2 or more of your texts. As you do, be very clear if you have taken separate photographic images for print work (a good thing!) rather than just use video screenshots.
Provide a summary, including assessment of any changes you now think you should have made
KEY POINTS:
define your primary and secondary target audiences (who the branding is aimed at!!!)
sum up the existing branding for the artist - is the existing audience the same as yours?
are you changing the brand image? if so, how/why?
how zeitgeisty (or perhaps retro - Retromania?) is your branding?
what role did social media play in binding together the video, digipak and website branding?
did you brand the YouTube and social media profiles? (consider the branding across the websites and social media observed in my exemplar case studies)
be clear and specific not just on the detailed links between your texts but any differences within these (e.g. the singer in the video setting/costume, but a unique photographic pose)
it can be very helpful to ask yourself (as many artists and their managers will): if an existing brand was to sponsor your artist, which would it be and why?
Clear, well illustrated vodcast, and Kate also made clear links within other Eval Qs - a good idea!
Curtis: dance act Faithless
Detailed and largely well illustrated, he closely followed my suggested structure. Curtis also embedded a range of videos from earlier in the blog in this post -
it is a smart move to very clearly link/demonstrate the range of research you are APPLYING through this answer, with playlists/embeds/screenshots (of posts, links lists), list of links, tags etc!
This question provides an easy opportunity to elevate the level of your response using theories you'll need to engage with for exam Q1a/1b; have you thought of how you can discuss genre theories here for example?
Take a moment to consider carefully the question (I've added 1a/b), and the very specific terms selected:
Q1: (1a) How do your products use or challenge conventions and (1b) how do they represent social groups or issues?
you can find more on the Evaluation overall in this hub post.
CIAE Q1b'how does it represent social groups or issues'
DIRECT EXAM LINK:
This is essentially practice for the first half of your exam: the Q1b REPRESENTATION topic (and AUDIENCE eg U+G, with further links to GENRE eg sub-culture, NARRATIVE eg hero's journey and MEDIA LANGUAGE eg simulacra), and links into Q1a, especially 'U' (use of conventions).
You need to consider and select a range of theories from your MANGeR pack, and apply both elements of semiotics when you provide examples:
specific and precise denotation (WHAT you did)
analysis of possible connotations (WHY you did)
A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW:
Tackle either 1 character/setting at a time (highlighting any binaries) or 1 demographic/issue at a time.
You should see links with your AS exam TV Drama Q, which also requires you to discuss issues raised through media language choices. Basic judgements to make:stereo/arche/countertype; normative/counter-hegemonic - or a mix (which might fit with narrative theories, eg Campbell's monomyth, Todorov's new equilibrium) - and WHY you did this, linked directly to audience/s targeted. U+G is an obvious theory to use - there are many more below and in Q1b exam pack. What social groups? 2 basics: gender, age (teen, tween etc). Sexuality. Ethnicity. Nationality/regionality. Rural/urban/metropolitan. Social class and status (ABC1CDE). Religion/spirituality. Dis/ability. What issues? Sexuality and gender are likely to be foremost: hetero-normative? Queering? (Fe)male gaze? Performativity of gender? The obvious 'ism' is (post-)feminism, but capitalism/consumerism and postmodernism (challenges to perceptions of an observable reality, meta-narratives; deconstructionism; simulacra) also. Look back at the in-depth case studies of Breaking Bad and other TV Drama clips for more inspiration.
Work through the embedded PowerPoint below for a range of suggested theories and terms
THE STUART HALL ISSUE:
How YOU planned to
represent and have audiences respond to people and places in your video etc is not necessarily how they did - it would be useful to include some
audience feedback and reflection on this. Where was there polysemy that
enabled some audience members (perhaps of certain demographics: gender?
age? nationality?) to give a negotiated or even oppositional reading?
REPRESENTATION OF WHO OR WHAT? + AUDIENCE ISSUES You
can approach this question in two fundamental ways: tackling one
category of representation at a time OR separately analysing each
character and place in turn. Representation is also a major issue for audience (eg U+G).
you can find more on the Evaluation overall in this hub post.
CIE Q4 HOW DID YOU INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGIES - SOFTWARE, HARDWARE AND ONLINE - IN THIS PROJECT?
***You MUST analyse your technology use in the Evaluation, includingthis question, in your answer!!!***
****You also MUST consider how you INTEGRATED technologies - combined and used these for multiple purposes (eg editing and YouTube for R+P and Evaluation, not just for the final music video/digipak/website)****
Consider how YOUR DESIGN/PRODUCTION COMPANY might benefit from or be penalised by digitisation - apply your exam-centred work, all that instiutional knowledge on how the highly converged, digitally disrupted music industry works...
CIE NOTE: This is formally named the CREATIVE CRITICALREFLECTION
THE CIAE BRIEF: music promotion package A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music video (major task), together with a website for the band and a digipak for the album’s release (minor tasks).
You are marked not just on answering the question, but also for:
creativity in how you do so
using critical theory and self-critiquing [exam q1a/1b!!!]
use of technology to do so
In practice, you should take 1 of 2 approaches:
Create one SUBSTANTIAL creative text for each answer, AND/OR...
Recycle a format or spread it across multiple Qs so you've got multiple creative approaches for each Q. It makes sense if you've spent any time on creating a set!
These often won't be ideal for actually answering the question, so make sure you fill in any gaps with some combination of well-illustrated:
This is a 'hub' post for BOTH the CIE version of the A2 Media Evaluation AND the UK (OCR) spec on which it's based. Use the hyperlinks below to find specific posts/guides on the 4 CIE/ OCR questions. See here for CIE blog guide.
