FIRST - what do they want?

'...a short written evaluation of between 400 and 600 words (with a
tolerance of 350 - 750 words). This report will outline any research undertaken,
justify the work in terms of its target audience and explain how it relates to current
media output.'

SECOND - how do they assess it?

AO Level Descriptors: THE EVALUATION

Level 1
1-4
Candidates will have implicit recognition of the need to plan in an
organised manner. There will be evidence both in the task and their
evaluative responses of the ability to describe what they have done in a
simple way.

Level 2
5-8
Candidates will offer a clear explanation and justification for the way they
went about their task. Their account will demonstrate the ability to
recognise and evaluate the constraints which may affect their ideas and
proposals. They will be able to recognise typical modes of audience
address and evaluate their own ideas in the light of them.

Level 3
9-12
A sense of justification will be a key feature at this level. Candidates will
critically reflect on their ideas in terms of what their planning techniques
offer their target audience. The best candidates will reveal an ability to
reflect on the originality of their approach and discuss the possible
constraints on their planning proposals.

THIRD - how do you structure it?

A suggested approach:

Paragraph 1 - What did you do? Who is your audience (or audiences)?

Paragraph 2 - How did you plan / research your piece? Why did you do it like this? How useful was the research? What did it tell you?

Paragraph 3 - Explain the thinking behind the decisions you made when making your piece. This might involve discussion of narrative, plot, genre codes and identifiers, palette, camera shot, story choice, advertising choices, editing, music, branding - whatever the main aspects of your particular piece are. Remember; everything you did should have been done with the audience in mind. So you should constantly be explaining how your choices contribute to audience appeal.

Paragraph 4 - How successful was your piece? Would it actually appeal to the audience? Is it original in any way? Would it realistically be made in the 'real world'? What problems might it face? How would you market it?

FOURTH - Remember the basics!

- NO WAFFLE! This includes the refrain ' I did this to appeal to my audience' (WHY or HOW will it appeal?)

- Yes, spelling, punctuation and grammar DO matter!

- Use the proper language. Appropriate media terminology in EVERY sentence, if possible (and it IS possible!)

- This is the part of the project which attracts the most marks, so don't be afraid to ask for help!

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