This document summarizes an evaluation of a media product created by the author. The evaluation discusses how the product represents social groups through the use of a young female model. It also describes the intended audience as young teen girls and discusses how various design elements like colors, fonts, and informal language were used to attract and address this audience. The author reflects on learning Photoshop skills like editing images, selecting objects, and adjusting colors and tones. Overall the evaluation demonstrates growth in research, photography, and design skills from an initial preliminary task to the completed media product.

1. EvaluationBy Francesca Scott

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

3. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

4. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

5. How did you attract/address your audience?The model I have used for my product is a young girl. I believe she embellishes the pop music genre as she has long blonde curled hair, blue eyes and is wearing bright clothes. I believe she attracts my target audience as she is slightly older than the target readers, therefore is seen as a role model to them, yet not too old that she isn’t relatable.I have used this artwork which consists of butterflies and music notes, which I believe is very fitting in a teen music magazine and is also visually attractive to audiences of around my target age group. I used this font for the name of the magazine and other headings as it is bold and pink therefore eye catching to a young teen girl. The artwork within the font is suitable for the genre of the magazine. Young girls can relate to the content within the magazine. The informal language and use of words helps them address to the magazine as it is written in a light-hearted format. The use of brightly coloured hearts and thinking/speech bubbles makes it an easier read and breaks larger paragraphs of text up, which is ideal for a younger audience as it keeps it interesting.The whole colour scheme of pink, green and blue is attractive to the target audience as it’s girly and bright.I use her name for the article, including her middle name. I did this as I thought it was girly and many girls of my target age group call themselves by their first and middle name on technologies such as MSN and MySpace, therefore I thought this would be relatable if I used this here by calling my artist “Sophie Jane”I had her pulling funny faces to give off a light-hearted feel to the article, which makes it more appealing to look at and attractable to read. “Miley Cyrus is an inspiration to many girls,including myself”

6. Who would be the audience for your media product?

7. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?The technology I've used most throughout the process of constructing this product is Adobe Photoshop.Within Photoshop I have edited images of my modelI have changed the colour of her dress by using the magnetic lasso tool to select it, then altering the colour balance to make it fit with the colour scheme.I have cut around the model by using the magic eraser tool, I had to lower the tolerance of the eraser when cutting around her hair. I have done this as it clears the image, and makes it possible to have the image in front of other colours.On the original full length shot I had accidentally cut her feet off, to correct this I used a similar image with her feet on, and blended it onto the bottom of this image using the smudge tool, as well as adding extra mic wire to keep it continuous. I have generally lightened the image by altering the brightness and contrast.

8. I have used the lasso tool to select her lips, eyes and teeth to change, brighten and whiten them by altering the colour balance tool. Her lips now fit in with the colour scheme, and her eyes are brighter giving her a more youthful look. I have removed blemishes and freckles from the image by using the spot healing brush tool, as well as evened out her skin tone by using the clone stamp tool. I have used the brightness and contrast tool to lighten the image, as well as the background. It has given the same effect as if I had cut around the image. Yet I believe this is a more effective method because I would have struggled to cut around her hair on this image.

9. Looking back at your preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?The most obvious progression from my preliminary task to this product is my skills in Photoshop. I have gone from having no experience whatsoever in how to work Photoshop to feeling confident in most aspects of the programme, from editing pictures, to producing text and artwork. The progression it quite obvious when comparing the two products.I have also improved on the research aspect of the project, from doing next to non in the preliminary task I never realized how important the research and planning aspect was un till starting the main project. I have now come to realize that it is one of the most important parts as without it it’s extremely difficult to find a target audience and keep to a certain genre without having a product to base your work on.My skills in using a camera have improved also when using it within the studio as I now understand how to work the lighting, and what angles will work best with what I am trying to represent with my model. The pictures I took in my preliminary are very simple and basic, and have had minimal editing done. Whereas the images I've used for my main product have had a lot of thought put into how my model should pose, what props I need to include within the photographs, and what type of shot I will use for what section of my product. PrelimMain product