Research for the Critical Reflection

 

        For the critical reflection for A level Media Studies, we are to write a one thousand word essay. The goals of this essay are to evaluate our own work through the lens of specific topics, support the argument by citing specific details associated with the project, and offer criticism (if necessary). 

    Before writing this essay for the documentary, which is detailed in one of my previous blogs, Ms. Stoklosa had provided a lecture over the critical reflection and I noted a format to follow to effectively answer the below questions:

•     How did your research inform your products and the way they use or challenge conventions?
•     How do your products engage with the audience?
•     How did elements of production work together to create a sense of "branding"?
•     How do your products represent social groups or issues?

    For the intro/ thesis, it must be short and focus on a major theme/ idea that is conveyed through the project, so in simpler terms, what the goal of the production is. The goal of Porcelain is to convey that perfection is something that is unreachable- no matter what extremities one goes through to achieve perfection, it can never be achieved. 

    The suggested order of answering the questions is as follows- How did your research inform your products and the way they use or challenge conventions?, How do your products engage with the audience?, How did elements of production work together to create a sense of "branding"?, How do your products represent social groups or issues?

    1- How did your research inform your products and the way they use or challenge conventions?

    This question should address the specific productions and samples that were reviewed, techniques that were researched, genre conventions, and why these matter to our specific production. For this question, I will reference the major productions that I visited during pre-production that are in the psychological drama/ coming of age genre. 

    2- How do your products engage with the audience?

    This question should be approached by addressing and describing the target audience and specific ways that the three components engage with the audience (or not for that matter, but I will always strive for it to achieve engagement). Since my target audience is young adults, more specifically females, I will discuss how my social media engages with and targets females through the feminine branding- being sure to address the small details that keep the social media page within the narrative. I will also address the design of my thumbnails and how they draw female audiences through the colors and font. The production itself embodies qualities of both of these, so it will be straightforward to discuss the elements of mise-en-scene- especially costuming that draws a young female audience. 

    3- How did elements of production work together to create a sense of "branding"?

    This question must be answered by describing the brand that we wished to develop, how or how didn't all three components work to develop brand, and what change would help improve the brand development. For this question, I will address the design of all three components, and currently, I am striving to not have to answer that last question as I am curating my components to be fully consistent in branding. 

    4- How do your products represent social groups or issues?

    For this last question, it can either end the essay or it can be jointed with the target audience question, but I will be ending with this question. It must discuss representation in groups, ideas, events, etc. and the project's successfulness in representation goals must be considered when answering this question. Personally, I will discuss my central character's role in representing teenage girls with obsessive compulsive disorders, eating disorders, and body dysmorphia, but it will not be limited to these categories as it will generalize to all disorders regarding body image that teenage girls face. I felt at the beginning of this project when I was in pre-production, that these issues are underrepresented in the media and teenage girls are such a large population and most face issues like these that disrupt their lives. 

Here is the physical version of my notes that I took a few months ago in class:

- Lauren ♡