Assignment 3: Evaluation

AQA's Specification suggests evaluations should include:

• how the aims of the production have been met
• how the product applies appropriate codes and conventions and uses appropriate media language
• how the product represents people, places or events
• where and when the product would be exhibited 
• what regulations and controls might be applied to the product and how these have been taken into consideration
• the strengths and weaknesses of the product in terms of meeting the needs of its audience.

Use the following guidance to help you:

Evaluate your video production

Word count: 800 words (10 marks)

Introduction (50 words)

• Brief introduction to your music video - track/artist/concept.
• What other music videos were you inspired by or did you watch as part of your research?

Target audience (100 words)

• Detailed audience demographics: gender, age, social class, education or employment etc.
• Why did you choose this target audience in particular?
• Bring your target audience to life: what brands do they like? What other music artists do they listen to? How do they watch their music videos? (Online, TV, phone, tablet etc.) Where do they buy their music? Show you know your target audience inside out.

Distribution and control (100 words)

• What technology could your target audience use to watch your music video?
• How did you ensure your music video would be appropriate for websites with safe search controls?
• What controls do websites like YouTube have to protect young people from inappropriate content?

Close textual analysis of music video (350 words)

• How does your production meet the key conventions of music videos?
• Does it contain a creative concept or narrative? Use Todorov's narrative theory of equilibrium and Barthes' enigma and action codes if your video uses a narrative.
• Does it use technical conventions associated with music video? E.g. Fast-paced editing, multiple locations, visual effects, colour changes, dynamic camerawork, mise-en-scene etc.
• Choose three or four key moments from your music video and complete a detailed textual analysis justifying your decisions and explaining what the camerawork, editing, visual effects or mise-en-scene communicate to the audience.
• What are the main strengths and weaknesses of your music video? Would your target audience enjoy watching it? How could you have made your music video more professional?

Representation (150 words)

• What representations did you create in your music video? Did it challenge or reinforce typical stereotypes? 
• Did you try to create a certain representation of the young people in your music video? (E.g. positive, negative, shocking etc.) How would your target audience respond to your representation of young people?
• Did you create particular representations of any other groups in your production? (Men, women, age, race or ethnicity etc.)

Personal response/conclusion (50 words)

• How well do you feel you have met the original brief? Do you think your product would be successful in the media marketplace? Why?

Mark scheme:

Level 6 (9-10 marks)

They evaluate their products making cogent and critical connections between the experience of carrying out the production and all the key concepts. Evaluation responses are communicated using accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.

KEY WORDS and CONCEPTS to use in your Evaluation:

Genre: hybrid, sub-genre etc.

Representation: of people/places/events; stereotypes, negative/positive representations.

Connotation: of colour, mise-en-scene, camera shots, camera movement etc.

Mise-en-scene: use of costume, lighting, actors, makeup, props, setting.

Iconography: how does your music video use the iconography associated with your genre of music (e.g. costume, props, locations etc.)

Institution: Who produces the music video? How is the music video broadcast? What expectations will the audience have as a result?  

Target Audience and demographics: age, gender, social class (and how you know), audience theory (uses and gratifications).

Regulation and Control: watershed, Ofcom, Broadcasting Code, offensive content, protecting young people.

Useful phrases to use when analysing or evaluating:

• This tells the audience...
• This could signify...
• A possible interpretation of this is...
• The audience could infer that...
• This shows the audience...
• The objective of this shot was…
• This suggests to the audience...
• From this, the audience will understand that...
• This connotes...
• This is significant because...
• This creates...
• This emphasises...