1a digital technology

G325 – CriticalG325 – Critical
Perspectives in MediaPerspectives in Media
Section A , Question 1a – Skills Evaluation of Production

HomeworkHomework
 Research and planning and Creativity Exam answers
due

Breakdown of Section A questionBreakdown of Section A question
1a1a
Section A, question 1a of the A2 exam
is worth 25 marks
You will be evaluating your AS and A2
coursework in terms of the skills you
have developed over the 2 years
You will have 30mins to answer this
question

How is it marked?How is it marked?
10 marks - Explanation, analysis,
argument
10
marks – Examples
5 marks - Terminology

Section A: Skills Evaluation ofSection A: Skills Evaluation of
ProductionProduction
Question 1(a)
describe and evaluate your skills development over
the course of your production work – this can include
the preliminary tasks, your actual c/w, ancillary
tasks and any other pieces you have created in the
past year.
In the exam 1 or more of the following areas will be
selected for you to write about:
 Digital Technology
 Creativity
 Research and planning
 Post-production
 Using conventions from real media texts

Section 1A Section 1B
Digital Technology √ Media Theory
Creativity √ Genre
Research and Planning √ Narrative
Post production Representation
Conventions Audience
Media Language

Jan 2010
June 2010
Jan 2011
June 2011
Jan 2012
1) Describe how you developed research and planning skills for media
production and evaluate how these skills contributed to creative decision
making. Refer to a range of example in your answer to show how these
skills developed over time
2) Describe the ways in which your production work was informed by research
into real media texts and how your ability to use such research for
production developed over time
3) Describe how you developed your skills in the use of digital technology for
media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to your
creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to
show how these skills.
4) Explain how far your understanding of the conventions of existing media
influenced the way you created your own media products. Refer to a range
of examples in your answer to show how this understanding developed
over time.
5) Describe how your analysis of the conventions of real media texts informed
your own creative practise. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to
show how these skills have been developed over time.

What is it about?What is it about?
What did you do?
How did you do it?
How did your skills develop?
All supported with specific examples
In relation to the area(s) in question

Critical ReflectionCritical Reflection
Reflective practice is a skill that is much sought
after and is highly regarded by universities and
employers. This goes beyond evaluations of the
outcomes; we are not simply thinking about
strengths and weaknesses.
This is probably the most difficult part of the A2
course.

Section A: Skills Evaluation ofSection A: Skills Evaluation of
ProductionProduction
 There is some cross over between the 5
areas e.g. for Research and Planning you
had to research other music videos/music
magazines, which clearly links to “Using
conventions from real media texts” , the
final bullet point.
 Your task will be to produce a detailed
evaluation of your coursework using all 5
areas. The documents you produce will be
vital revision aids for the exam this summer.

Digital Technology-Digital Technology-hardware,hardware,
software and onlinesoftware and online
For this topic, you need to consider the
impact of the new technologies you have
used on your consumption and production
of media texts.
Consider how you have presented your
work; blogs?
How has the internet supported your skills
development?
Consider the pro’s and con’s of the digital
technology you have used

ICT/Digital TechnologyICT/Digital Technology
 How did AS compare to A2?
 Blogs/websites
 Slideshare
 Flickr
 Facebook questionnaires
 Film and upload to YouTube (audience
questionnaires and feedback)
 Vlogs
 Post it note film/stop frame animations/
animatics
 Digital photography
 Software and hardware

Digital TechnologyDigital Technology
You need to consider the skills you have learnt during AS with the following
software:
 Adobe Photoshop. The image manipulation program allowed you to
manipulate graphics necessary for the magazine. E.g. crop tools such as
Marquee (magic wand), Lassos, and colour converters such as Red Eye
Corrector, Colour Variations, Colour Dropper, Dodge and Burn, text tools,
picture boxes, shape tools, photograph manipulation, layers etc.
 Illustrator. The print construction software allowed you to create a realistic
product through layout/font/logo/colour manipulation etc.
 Final Cut. The editing software allowed you to add specific transitions/sound
effects/manipulate time (temporal relations)…etc.
 Weblogs e.g. blogger which allowed you to regularly post about your
research & planning, progress and to display your final piece. It also enabled
you to leave comments (audience feedback) on each other’s blogs….

You need to consider the skills you have
learnt from AS to A2 with the following
hardware:
Digital stills cameras
Lighting
HD Cameras
Tripods
PC
Mini DV tape

What are the pros and cons of the
software and hardware you used at
AS and A2 in terms of skills
development?
How did you use your skills to aid
the construction of your task?
Be really really specific with your
examples

Using Youtube to watch music videos
Using Myspace to listen to a track when researching genre and lyrics
Using Google images to find music adverts – Pinterest? Glogster?
Using Web 2.0 to create a blog and uploading photographs to invite comment
Using Flickr to research and source shared images when studying conventions of
portraits
Using Flickr to research and source shared images
Recording an interview on your mobile
Texting a friend to arrange a shoot
Taking and downloading images from a digital camera
Creating a powerpoint to share research with the class and elicit feedback
Retouching a photograph using Photoshop tools

Using Youtube to watch music videos
Using Myspace to listen to a track when researching genre and lyrics
Using Google images to find front covers of school magazines
Using Web 2.0 to create a blog and uploading photographs to invite comment
Using Flickr to research and source shared images when studying conventions of
portraits
Using Flickr to research and source shared images
Recording an interview on your mobile
Texting a friend to arrange a shoot
Taking and downloading images from a digital camera
Creating a powerpoint to share research with the class and elicit feedback
Take 6 of these:
Brainstorm:
-How you used the skills specifically on the 2 tasks (make sure you
mention something relevant)
-How you improved your skills/what were the main developments in
skills
-What problems or solutions you found
-Main learning points
-Evaluate how much the skills helped you devise project
-Are these skills useful in isolation from the other skills eg
-How have creative ideas forced you to develop digital
technology skills?
-How has digital technology allowed you to be more creative?

1. Digital Technology and Creativity - THEORY
Does digital technology really encourage creativity?
David Gauntlett says YES;
Henry Jenkins says that Participatory Cultures encourage
creativity because you can share what you create online and
get feedback on it;

David GauntlettDavid Gauntlett
 In Making is Connecting , David Gauntlett argues that,
through making things, people engage with the world
and create connections with each other. Both online and
offline, we see that people want to make their mark on
the world, and to make connections. During the previous
century, the production of culture became dominated by
professional elite producers. But today, a vast array of
people are making and sharing their own ideas, videos
and other creative material online, as well as engaging in
real–world crafts, art projects and hands–on
experiences. Gauntlett argues that we are seeing a shift
from a ‘sit–back–and–be–told culture′ to a ‘making–and–
doing culture′. People are rejecting traditional teaching
and television, and making their own learning and
entertainment instead.

But what if all the online stuff is crap?
Where is the quality control?
What has the feedback been line for your work
online? Was this feedback helpful, productive,
kind?
David Buckingham talks about ‘loser-generated
content’
1. Digital Technology and Creativity

Exemplar Question - HomeworkExemplar Question - Homework
In this section you need to write about your work for
the Foundation Portfolio and Advanced Portfolio units.
You must answer 1(a) and 1(b)
1 (a) ‘Digital technology turns media
consumers into media producers.’ In your
own experience, how has your creativity
developed through using digital technology to
complete your coursework productions?

Post-ProductionPost-Production
Consider the following:
How you made decisions about editing and layout
Influence of audience expectations
Photo manipulation

Post-productionPost-production
 Post Production at AS might have consisted of
editing the material and putting all the titles
and music together on Final Cut or editing
images and putting text together on
Photoshop/Indesign. This is very similar to the
software listed as part of Digital technology
 You need to identify all of the steps you took
once you had either filmed or photographed –
to do this accurately it will be helpful to look at
your work and make a list of everything you
did in order to get to the finished stage.
 Post-production is everything that happens
after filming/photographing

You would need to discuss:
EDITING – techniques used; style; pace;
transitions and how the editing helped
communicate meaning to the audience.
SOUNDTRACK & SOUND EFFECTS – the
choices made and the impact of these
choices on audiences.
SPECIAL EFFECTS – discuss any special
effects (fast-motion, slow-motion etc) and
any effects you used to distort/edit
images. Again, the emphasis should be on
the way these effects impact on audiences
and communicate meaning.

CreativityCreativity
It is important not to assume one answer to any
question!
Rather than ask yourself the question, " How have I
become more creative during my A level course?",
ask yourself, "Have I become more creative?".
If you answer the second question, then you will
evaluate your progress much more thoroughly.
Consider the pro’s and con’s of the technology you
have used and how this has impacted on your
creativity

Creativity involves thinking or behaving
imaginatively. It might involve
challenging conventions or replicating /
furthering knowledge of them – what
did you do in your c/w?
You need to think about the decisions
that were made for you (the restrictions
put on you by the exam board) e.g. you
must make a music magazine or film
opening. Then consider the creative
choices you made e.g. which type of
music magazine or genre of film? Etc.

 How creative do you think you were in the decisions
you made when creating your c/w?
 Did the technology enhance your creativity or not?
 What ideas did you communicate and what stylistic
techniques did you use? How did it relate to your
interests/vision of identity?
 Was your product influenced by your social
environmental?
 Was this original or did you add something extra to
an original media text?
 Would you take any creative skills into future
projects or have you been influenced to engage
these skills in any other projects?

Research and PlanningResearch and Planning
Consider the following:
How you reviewed real text examples and discuss
conventions
Analysis of old student work and discuss marking
criteria
How you planned the micro elements
Research into audience expectations
How you reviewed your own progress and update
your plans.

Think about the types of research you carried out:
 Primary – films, magazines, internet,
questionnaires, audience feedback
 Secondary – internet, textbooks, blogs for
theories
Advantages/Disadvantages of your sources:
 Cost of magazines etc
 Accessibility – easy to find?
 Time consuming?
 Reliability of sources?
 Accuracy of sources?
 Usefulness of sources?

 How did you organise your research and
planning? E.g. labels, blog etc
 What did you research?
 How did drafting help you?
 How did audience feedback improve your
planning?
 How organised were you?
 What did you learn about working as part of a
group or independently?
 How did you present your research and
planning? E.g. wordle, moodboard, flickr, scribd,
slideshare etc

Using Conventions of Real MediaUsing Conventions of Real Media
TextsTexts
Each of your 3 practical projects had a specific set
of conventions.
For this topic, you need to consider how your
understanding has developed over the course.
Begin by make a note of the conventions of each of
the genres you created.
Then pick 2 or 3 of these conventions and say how
you used them within your own work
Don't forget to ask yourself how useful it is to
understand and apply real conventions AND why
your ability to apply this understanding has
improved over the course.

Using conventions from realUsing conventions from real
media textsmedia texts
What conventions of music
magazines/film openings did you apply to
your c/w?
Identify real media texts and explain how
your text is similar and different.
“Creativity is always constrained by generic
conventions”. To what extent did you adhere to or
subvert generic conventions in the creation of your
media products.

1a digital technology

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