The document provides guidance for students on how to evaluate their media production portfolio for an A-Level media course. It outlines the key areas students should demonstrate in their evaluation, including understanding of forms and conventions, use of new media technologies, and audience feedback. Students must choose one of four questions to answer relating to their portfolio works, and should illustrate their answers using a variety of multimodal sources, like videos, diagrams, and images from their productions. The evaluation should discuss all portfolio works in a creative, informative manner using a multi-media approach.

1. CTK – A2 Media: Unit G324 Advanced Portfolio Coursework
-A2 Media: Evaluation Q1-
Level 1: 0-7 Minimal Level 2: 8-11 Basic Level 3: 12-15 Proficient Level 4: 16-20 Excellent
Your Evaluation work will be marked on how well you demonstrate:
 Understandingof the forms and conventions used in the productions.
 Understandingof the roleand use of new media in various stages of the production.
 Understandingof the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
 Understandingof the significanceof audiencefeedback.
 Skill in choiceof form in which to present the evaluation.
 Use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation,& the ability to communicate.
You Are Required to Answer FOUR Questions (Each member chooses one question, but you must present the
evaluation as a group task – WE not I):
1. What ways do your products use/develop/challenge forms & conventions of real media products?
2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?
4. How did you use media technologies in the construction/research/planning/evaluation stages?
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO ILLUSTRATE THESE FOUR ANSWERS USING A VARIETY OF SOURCES & MULTI MEDIA:
 Website Links (Inspirations/Techniques etc.)
 Videos (Real Media Texts)
 Diagrams (Conventions)
 Stills/Grabsfromyour Poster + Magazine+ Trailer (Cutyour Products up – be specific)
 Sketches + Drafts + Images + Gifs + Photos + Moodboards + Photoshop Work
REMEMBER:
 Discuss all three media products that you have created (Includeyour team website if relevant)
 There is no maximum or minimum word limit
 YOU ARE NOT BEING ASKED TO WRITE AN ESSAY!
 Answer in a creative and informativemanner.
EXAMINERS TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL EVALUATION:
“Take a multi-media approach. Whether a presentation, blog or DVD, an effective evaluation uses clips and
stills from production work, feedback from the target audience (often video + audio clip) and a reflective
analysis. Videos can often be paused and annotated, including interviews with their audience. The Evaluation is
often the weakest element of students’ work, so therefore you must put in a significant amount of time and
effort as it carries 20 marks. The worst evaluations are blogs or presentations consisting of entirely text. The
best submissions make the most of the electronic basis of the new spec, thoroughly integrating audio, video,
image, and web links to the written word”.

2. CTK – A2 Media: Unit G324 Advanced Portfolio Coursework
QUESTION 1
In What Ways Does Your Media
Production Use, Develop or Challenge
Forms & Conventions of
Real Media Products?

3. CTK – A2 Media: Unit G324 Advanced Portfolio Coursework
Q1: In What Ways Does Your Media Production Use, Develop or Challenge
Forms & Conventions of Real Media Products?
Forms and Conventions are rules that make a trailer a trailer and nota soap opera.Conventions help an
audiencerecognise what type of media product itis,and whether they will consumeitor not. You will need to
cover two main areas:
1. ASK YOURSELF: ‘WHAT ARE THE CONVENTIONS OF’:
FILM TEASER TRAILERS: Lighting, Costumes, Props (Weapons), Setting, Editing, Music, Sound Effects, Pacing,
Characters, Length, Tension/Suspense, Storyline, Plot, Composition, Camera Techniques.
FILM POSTERS: Credits, Company Logos, Website, Coming Soon/Release Date, Review Quotes, Festival
Awards/Nominations, Tag Line, Pull Quote, Film Title, Actor Names, Subject/Imagery.
FILM MAGAZINE FRONT PAGES: Subject/Character,Coverlines,Main Coverline, Date Line, Website, Barcode,
QR Code, Price, Straplines,Puff,SellingLine.
HORROR SUB-GENRE: Slasher, Splatter, Psychological, Supernatural, Zombie, Monster, J-Horror, & Thriller.
Consider; characters plot lines, narrative, styling, cinematography, costumes, props, weapons etc.
2. ASK YOURSELF: ‘DO YOUR PRODUCTS FOLLOW, CHALLENGE, OR DEVELOP THESE ‘RULES’?
FOLLOWED: If you have followed the conventions of filmteaser trailers/posters/magazines/specific horror sub-
genre, you will need to discuss and identify in specific detail where. Media products that strictly adhereto the
conventions of a specific formcan sometimes be quite predictable,so you need to comment on how you
ensured that your products were interesting, rather than boring.
DEVELOPED: You may have not followed all conventions,but rather developed ones. Meaning, you made slight
changes to pre-existingconventions in order to suityour audience. You must identify these conventions,and
visually display howyou developed these in to something new.
CHALLENGED: You may have also challenged conventions (not followinga convention, but gone againstit).
There may be many reasons why you challenged a convention; perhaps you wanted your filmto be more
original.Perhaps followinga convention would have required resources that you could not access (a parti cular
prop, type of costume, or location etc.).
In order to discussthis section effectively,you will need to go back to your textual analyses of existing texts.
Write a listof conventions that apply to the horror sub-genre that you chose. For example in ‘Slashers’the
survivor is often female (Halloween & Hostel II) & the killer is a singlemale(My Bloody Valentine& Nightmare
on Elm Street). In order to produce a successful and reflectiveevaluation,you must demonstrate that you are
knowledgeable of your genre by referencing pre-existingfilms as a sourceof inspiration.When commenting on
a film- includethe trailer,specific clip,still,imageor poster.
POSSIBLE STRUCTURE
1). Explain conventions/formula/ingredients - in media products.Why are they important? Give examples.
2). Produce 3 convention diagrams (visual) highlightingindustry standard conventions for movie posters –
magazine front covers – and movie teaser trailers.Usereal media texts.
3). Create a whole section highlightingthe conventions of your chosen horror sub-genre – give visual examples
(clips,videos,stills,character profilesetc.) from real media texts.
4). What conventions have you 1) FOLLOWED? 2) DEVELOPED? 3) CHALLENGED? Visually compareyour
products to actual existingposters,magazines and trailers –as many as possible!
5). Evaluate/sum up/over view.
QUESTION 1: LEVEL-4 EXAMPLE ANSWERS
2013-14: Spooky Entertainment
2013-14: Eye Productions
2013-14: Outkast Studios
2012-13: Dre Entertainment
2012-13: Syfer UK