The document provides guidance for students on completing the evaluation section of their foundation media portfolio. It includes prompts for the student to discuss how they used and developed conventions of genre and opening sequences in their media product, how they represented social groups, what type of institution might distribute their product, who their target audience is, how they addressed this audience, the technologies they learned, and what they learned from their preliminary task to the full product. The student is directed to include examples, discuss their process, and make their responses visual.

1. Starter: Card Sort
• Now identify some conventions of your genre.
• On paper write the following headers:
• Write your genre in, and then place the
relevant key cards in each section.
• Then add some more, but they must be
conventional
EXTENSION
• Group together the remaining cards. What groups did
you put them in?
Genre Costume Weaponry Transport Character
Types
Setting

2. Foundation Portfolio
Evaluation
1. In what ways does your
media product use,
develop or challenge
forms and conventions of
real media products?

3. Conventions of an Opening
Sequence
• What are the conventions of an Opening
Sequence?
• What are the conventions of your genre?

4. In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
• State the conventions of an opening sequence:
• Explain why these conventions are used:
• Give examples of these conventions in real media texts:
• Give examples of when you have used the conventions
• E.g. Slow paced editing
• Introduce setting/mood
• Logos/titles
• Close Ups
• Establishing shots
• And so on (at least 6)
E.g. Slow paced editing is used to help the audience linger on a particular clue,
prompting them to start to ask questions and piece together answers. This will engage
the viewer and they will want to watch on, to see if their predictions are correct.
You need to show a range of examples not just one for each. Also it must be visual.
Give clear visual examples and break down clips so they show just the convention you
want to discuss. Link directly with real media texts.

5. In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
• Now state the conventions of your genre:
• Explain why these conventions are used:
• Give examples of these conventions in real media texts:
• Give examples of when you have used the conventions
• E.g. Low key lighting
• Blood
• Vulnerable characters
• Close Ups
• Eerie string music
• And so on (at least 6)
E.g. Low key lighting is used to hide or conceal elements which will prompts the
audience to ask questions. It also creates a gritty and dangerous feel to the mise en
scene, and crime is often an important aspect of the thriller genre.
You need to show a range of examples not just one for each. Also it must be visual.
Give clear visual examples and break down clips so they show just the convention you
want to discuss. Link directly with real media texts.

6. In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
• Now discuss examples where you have
developed or challenged the conventions of both
the opening sequence and the genre and include
visual examples.
• Again include examples from real media texts to
show how you are doing things differently.
• Explain why you have chosen to develop or
challenge a convention.

7. Foundation Portfolio
Evaluation
2. How does your media
product represent
particular social groups?

8. How does your media product represent
particular social groups?
• What social groups have you represented in your work?
• Remember you can be more specific here – what kind of
people have you represented?
• Give examples of when and how you have represented
the different social groups:
• E.g. Gender
• Ethnicity
• Age
• Sexuality
• Social Class
• Ability/disability etc.
• E.g. Teenagers
• Responsible adults
• Scientists
• MP’s
• Criminals
• Police etc.
Give clear visual examples and break down clips so they show just the convention you
want to discuss. Link directly with real media texts.

9. How does your media product represent
particular social groups?
• Use images and videos of how other media texts represent
these groups so that you can compare your representation.
Have you challenged any societal norms e.g. gender roles?
• Discuss how your use of media language has allowed
you to create specific representations:
E.g. When framing the policeman we used long shots to show that he is isolated and
therefore vulnerable. When you add the framing to the low-key lighting and the high
pitched tense music, the audience will start to predict that he could get attacked
and that because there is no-one around, the offender will not get stopped or
caught. The weapon could be concealed in the shadows. We also used high angle
shots to emphasis his vulnerability and suggest that someone is watching him.
Overall this suggests that the police in this film are weak and not capable of stopping
the criminal. The criminal is therefore portrayed as powerful and evil, perhaps
psychotic, as he is planning to kill a policemen, which is a particularly immoral.

10. Foundation Portfolio
Evaluation
3. What kind of institution
might distribute your
media product and why?

11. What kind of institution might distribute your media
product and why?
• Discussion of your production company name and logo and the role of
such companies.
• What does a production company do?
• The idea of a distributor and who that might be and why.
Where the money might have come from for a film such as yours. Big
distributor or BFI Film Fund?
• Why the various people are named in the titles- which jobs appear in
titles and in what order and how have you reflected this?
• What your film is similar to 'institutionally' (name some films which
would be released in a similar way)
• Where would you film be screened? Big multiplex or small indie
cinema? And afterwards- DVD sales? Downloads? TV?
• What certification would you film receive from the BBFC? Why?
Would this impact on audiences?

12. What kind of institution might distribute your media
product and why?
• Think realistically about which film distribution company would be
associated with your film. Would your film be one that would be a
‘blockbuster’, with popular actors, shown at the huge cinema chains
around the world? Or, is your film more alternative, quirky, independent –
suited more for success within the British market? You decide. Then do
some research into similar films. Find out which companies have
distributed these, and create a post with that company logo, your
explanation about why your film would be distributed by them, and a
sample of images of other films that company has released / distributed.
• Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=qNCFaIJ3pP8&feature=player_embedded

13. What kind of institution might distribute your media
product and why?
• The cultural test- prove that your film is British.
http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/culturaltestpoints
• Examples of films that have passed the cultural test (which ones
are similar to yours?)
http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/ctproductions
• If you have passed the cultural test, your film will be eligible for
tax breaks and you can apply for funding from the BFI Film
Fund.
• What films have done this?
http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/stats/BFI-Statistical-Yearbook-2011.pdf (pg 163/164)
• What other forms of funding are there for a film like yours?
http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/stats/BFI-Statistical-Yearbook-2011.pdf (page 164)

14. Foundation Portfolio
Evaluation
4. Who would be the
audience for your media
product?

15. Who would be the audience for your media
product?
CONTENT
•Link with your audience research, explain that you did
this and how you did it. Explain who you think your
audience is based on that research.
•What is the demographic of your audience?
– Age, gender, ethnicity, geographical location, occupation,
education, income
– JICNARS (ABC1) scale?
•What is the psychographic of your audience?
– Personal interests, values, lifestyles, behaviours and
opinions. What other film/media products do they
consume?

16. JICNARS Scale
Joint Industry Committee for Newspaper Advertising Research
A
Upper Middle Class
Approximately 3% of the total population.
Higher managerial, administrative or professional.
B
Middle Class
Approximately 20% of the total population
Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional
C1
Lower Middle Class
Approximately 28% of the total population.
Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial,
administrative or professional
Who would be the audience for your media product?

17. JICNARS Scale
Joint Industry Committee for Newspaper Advertising Research
Who would be the audience for your media product?
C2
Skilled Working Class
Approximately 21% of the total population.
Skilled manual workers
D
Working Class
Approximately 18% of the total population.
Semi and unskilled manual workers
E
Underclass
Approximately 10% of the total population.
Casual or lowest grade workers, pensioners and others
who depend on the state for their income

18. Psychographics
Insight Value Group
• Self actualisers - Focused on people and relationships, individualistic and
creative, enthusiastically exploring change.
• Innovators - Self-confident risk-takers, seeking new and different things,
setting their own targets to achieve.
• Esteem seekers - Acquisitive (want to own things) and materialistic, aspiring
to what they see are symbols of success, including things and experiences.
• Strivers - Attach importance to image and status, as a means of enabling
acceptance by their peer group, at the same time holding onto traditional
values.
• Contented conformers - Want to be 'normal', so follow the herd, accepting
of their circumstances, they are contented and comfortable in the security of
their own making.
• Traditionalists - Risk averse, guided by traditional behaviours and values,
quiet and reserved, hanging back and blending in with the crowd.
• Disconnected - Detached and resentful, embittered and apathetic, tending to
live in the 'ever-present now'.

19. Who would be the audience for your
media product?
HOW TO MAKE IT VISUAL
•Create a profile of your ‘ideal’ audience member.
– Use Audience Profile sheet on Frog
•Create a collage that summarises their life
– Grab images from magazines/websites that display
what that person is like
Remember to consider both
demographics and psychographics

20. Audience profile
• Name:
• Gender:
• Age:
• Lives:
• Watches what TV programmes:
• Visits what websites:
• Does what when they go out:
• Listens to what other music:
• Wears what clothes:
• Reads what magazines:
• Likes/is involved with which subcultures:
• Shops where:
• Aspires to be:
• Has how much spare £££:
• Likes this particular genre because:
• Anything else about your ‘character’:

21. Foundation Portfolio
Evaluation
5. How did you attract /
address the audience?

22. How did you attract / address the audience?
• You should discuss your audience research and
what they said they wanted to see in your film.
• Then discuss what you put into your film to
cater for that audience.
• Then carry out some more audience research,
asking people from the target audience what
they think of your product and what appeals to
them. Would they go and see it?

23. How did you attract / address the audience?
• Create a jing/screencast video where you display
your audience research data and discuss it.
• Create a director’s commentary. Highlight the
ways in which your Film Opening links to other
similar films in order to attract the particular
Audience you have previously identified.
• You will refer to genre conventions, use of music,
similarities with other movies and what you have
identified as the Unique Selling Point of your
imaginary film.
• Create a video of audience feedback
and analyse the results.
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v=H4Sdj0BmawQ&
feature=player_em
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http://ww
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v=z5F8NT
4vVb8

24. Foundation Portfolio
Evaluation
6. What have you learnt
about technologies from
the process of constructing
this product?

25. What have you learnt about technologies from the
process of constructing this product?
CONTENT
•Discuss technologies used in the creation of:
– Your research and planning blog
– Your opening sequence
– The music for your opening sequence
– The titles for the opening sequence
– Your audience feedback
– Your evaluation blog

26. What have you learnt about technologies from the
process of constructing this product?
CONTENT
•What technologies have you used?
•What technologies are brand new to you?
•What technologies have you developed your skills in?
•What technologies have allowed you to produce
something really creative?
•What technologies have allowed you to display your work
in a creative way?
•What technologies need careful use or planning?
•Were there any times you had to do something again
because you hadn’t used the technology correctly?
•What have new technologies allowed you to do that old
ones wouldn’t?

27. What have you learnt about technologies from the
process of constructing this product?
HOW TO MAKE IT VISUAL
•Gather together the following:
• Photographs of you using the technologies
• Photographs of the equipment
• Screen grabs of the different steps in using a computer
program
• Jing video of you using a computer program and
explaining what you are doing
• Wordle (word cloud) of the key technology.
www.wordle.net
•Use the visual material toUse the visual material to back upback up what you have said inwhat you have said in
your written work.your written work.

28. What have you learnt about technologies from the
process of constructing this product?
• My Wordle:

29. Foundation Portfolio
Evaluation
7. Looking back at your
preliminary task, what do
you feel you have learnt
in the progression from it
to the full product?

30. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you
feel you have learnt in the progression from it to
the full product?
• You should compare your two products
carefully.
• Concentrate on editing and camerawork.
• Grab some clips from both tasks and put them on the
blog and show what you know about shot types, edit
terms and techniques.
• Make sure you mention the 180 degree rule, match
on action and shot/reverse shot

31. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you
feel you have learnt in the progression from it to
the full product?
Confidence Attention to
detail
Using a range of technologies
Team work Creativity Specialising in a particular role
Taking a lead role Creating a
professional
product
Continuity editing techniques
Using media language to create meaning:
Editing
Mise en scene
Cinematography
Sound
Considering:
Genre
Audience
Representation
Use these prompts to help you form your response.