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Department of Media and Communication

Deadline: May 21st

EXTENDED PROJECT PORTFOLIOAcademic Year 2020/2021

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Student Name : Megan FosterYear 1 – L3 UAL Diploma in Creative

Media Production and Technology (Creative Writing & Journalism

Unit 8 – Extended Project2021

CONTENTS

Department of Media and Communication

CONTENTS

CONTENTS............................................................................................................................3

LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................5

LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................................5

DEFINITION OF TERMS......................................................................................................5

Unit 8 - Project Proposal..........................................................................................................6

...............................................................................................6

Project Action Plan and Timetable..........................................................................................9

....................................................................................................9

CHAPTER 1............................................................................................................................. 11

Introduction...........................................................................................................................11

......................................................................................11

The Background of my Project...........................................................................................11

Who am I?.......................................................................................................................11

What did I learn on my course?.....................................................................................12

What is my project about?................................................................................................13

Why my project is important?...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

My Research Plan...............................................................................................................14

...................................................................................................14

CHAPTER 2............................................................................................................................. 16

Literature/Resources Review....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

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................................................................................16

Introduction....................................................................................................................... 17

Media sources, literature search and evaluation..................Error! Bookmark not defined.

Requirements for my creative media production project.................................................18

CONCLUSION - Who/what was my inspiration? /Contextualisation of my study........20

CHAPTER 3............................................................................................................................. 19

Research Design and Strategies............................................................................................19

...............................................................................19

Introduction....................................................................................................................... 19

Research Questions............................................................................................................17

Research Design Evolution.....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

CHAPTER 4............................................................................................................................. 23

Writing and presenting my research findings.......................................................................23

..........................................................................................23

Findings/Data analysis.......................................................................................................23

Conclusion - How did the research help me with my project? (Interpret Research)........24

CHAPTER 5............................................................................................................................. 25

My Project..............................................................................................................................25

..........................................................................25

Introduction....................................................................................................................... 25

Pre-Production...................................................................................................................25

Production..........................................................................................................................25

Post-production................................................................................................................. 26

CHAPTER 6............................................................................................................................. 26

MY FMP – FINAL PRODUCT...................................................................................................26

.........................................................................................26

CHAPTER 7............................................................................................................................. 27

Project Evaluation..................................................................................................................27

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..........................................................................................27

APPENDICES...........................................................................................................................28

Extended project in creative media production Learning Outcomes and Assessment....28

1. Understand the requirements of a creative media production project......................28

2. Be able to use research methods to inform ideas for creative media production......28

3. Be able to use skills, knowledge and understanding in the completion of a creative media project..................................................................................................................28

4. Be able to evaluate a creative media project..............................................................28

REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................29

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1- What is research......................................................................................................16Figure 2- How to ask good questions.....................................................................................16Figure 3 - My exercise 1.............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

LIST OF TABLES Table 1 - Project Proposal.........................................................................................................7Table 2 - Project Action Plan and Timetable...........................................................................10Table 3- My research Plan......................................................................................................14

DEFINITION OF TERMS Extended ProjectUAL – University of the Arts London

Medium - a method or way of expressing something:

the broadcasting/print medium (poetry, short story, journalism),

They told the story through  the medium of  film

Theme - the subject of a talk, piece of writing, exhibition, etc.; a topic.

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"the theme of the sermon was reverence"Similar: subject, topic, subject matter, concern, question

Methodologies - a system of methods used in a particular area of study or activity. All the methods of research

Context or contextualise - the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood.

"a methodology for investigating the concept of focal points" OR all the different things you will research to find out things

Unit 8 - Project Proposal

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Candidate Name

Megan Foster

Candidate NumberPathway

Project Title

Section 1: Rationale My skills from this year:analysing- I can effectively analyse, anything from writing pieces to the essential elements within. it is important to focus carefully on each point of an analysis. I learned this through Greg's comments on my blog posts, he prompted me to understand and decipher every aspect; why, when, how, positives, negatives, etc. word choice- my word choice is constantly improving through each session and with each bit feedback. I have found a trick that, personally, helps me to keep my work at a high standard without rambling and using unnecessary words. I like to write a first draft and then go through each sentence replacing, or getting rid of, words that are not as effective or impactful as need be. writing styles- completing projects and general writing tasks have helped me to identify my best writing styles, but, it has also allowed me to experiment with a range of different styles, giving me experience and understanding. I personally feel as though my best work is journalistic or creative, short stories.

My project is going to include all these skills; it is a teenage topics magazine which will predominantly focus on mental health, politics, racism and homophobia, whilst also having features on things like astrology, fashion and music. These topics have extreme significance to not only me, but to a large variety of young adults across the world. Many people of my generation have struggles which fall into each and every topic I will be covering, therefore it offers an informational and relatable outlet for readers, some people may find it a useful escape or a chance to understand that other people have similar experiences and they are not alone in this. With topics such as astrology, it keeps a light-hearted and fun side to the magazine too.

Section 2: Project Concept I am planning to create a magazine, the aims of this magazine are to create an inclusive, relatable, informational

and comforting outlet for my target audience. I want it to be an easy read magazine with information and support,

whilst including a range of light-hearted and serious topics. It is planned to include a headlining piece, a column

with a biographical theme, journalistic pieces, a review on music and feature pieces on things like astrology. My

target audience is ages 16-20, for people with interests in a range of things like politics, societal issues, fashion,

mental health, music and astrology. My roles in the magazine include researcher, writer, editor and producer, I

am hoping to have family and friends as proof-readers.

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For primary research I will be making multiple surveys on things such as audience interests, sexual harassment,

mental health, racism and homophobia and sending them to classmates and friends, then I will be speaking to

writers through my professional twitter account and through email communication on things such as; tips, tricks,

journeys, processes, etc. For secondar research I will be finding online sources to refer to, this will be websites,

videos, magazines, and the masterclass app.

Section 3: Evaluation (approx. 50 words)I started the process of my project with 3 main ideas, to conclude a final idea I deeply analysed each one with strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. After this I investigated what could support my magazine (final idea) further, getting inspiration from other people, media and personal experiences. This led to the creation of a checklist of topics and styles of writing. I then created a timeline checklist to help me meet the deadline in a safe amount of time. My aims should not be unachievable; I can offer a sense of comfort and relatability due to my personal experiences along with my range of knowledge, however the information I need may take a long time to gather, the range of topics may overlap and become confusing if not organised well, seeing as I haven’t created a magazine before there may be technical difficulties. Despite this, I am confident that due to my passion in the topics, I can produce effective, moving pieces with lots of understandable information which grabs the readers interests and attention. At the end of each chapter, I will have a checklist of all the elements I needed to have included. I will then carefully go through each section making sure I have added everything necessary and anything extra.

Proposed Research Sources and Bibliography (Harvard Format)

This section provides an opportunity to record the initial research sources, both primary and

secondary, that you intend to use.

Your sources of research should be as wide as possible and could include libraries, galleries,

books, theatre, cinema visits, films, videos, magazines, films, TV and Radio programmes,

computer games, websites, blogs, social media, radio programmes, archive material, and other

media and multi-media sources etc. Make sure you use Harvard referencing. The

bibliography should be continuously updated as the project progresses.

Table 1 - Project Proposal

Project Action Plan and Timetable

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This section provides you with an opportunity to outline your planning and organisation over a period of weeks and the activities you will need to carry out to complete your project in the agreed time frame. The more time and thought you give to planning your project the more successful it is likely to be. It is important that you consider how you will balance ambition, time and realism in the realisation of the project. You should also include what you are going to do, how you will do it and by when. Remember to include time spent sourcing materials and other resources to conduct research, seek feedback from tutors and peers, and identify when you will carry out independent study.Project Action Plan and Timetable (I have given you an idea of how to start this plan)

Week Date WeekBeginning

Activity / What you are intending to do - including independent study

Resources / What you will need to do it - including access to workshops

1 23/03/2021 Who Am I, Skill analysis and ideas for FMP

PowerPoint, WordPress (your own blog posts for sessions). Research session - Why I write

230/3/2021

The Proposal Form on pages 7 & 8

3 6/4/2021 Introduction to FMPBegin Research

Links to research instructions – previous student’s research example – How To Research on YouTubeHow to formulate a question: search engine and how to videos/clips/webpages.

4 19/4/2021 Send surveys off, send email/messages to writers for research.

5 26/4/2021 Completed chapter one, two and three.

6 3/5/2021 First draft completed + chapter 4 and 5.

7 10/5/2021 Second draft // chapter 6 completed with start on chapter 7.

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8 17/5/2021 Chapter 7 completed with final draft.

Deadline 21st May 2021

Hand in portfolio.

Table 2 - Project Action Plan and Timetable

Deadline: 21st May 2021.

CHAPTER 1 ( after this you can fill in the Proposal Form above ) Introduction

Identify your strengths within creative media

Identify the skills you have gained within creative media

Explore possible ideas for your Final major project

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Introduction to the Chapter - This opening section’s main function is simply to get the reader into the chapter somewhat gradually rather than jumping directly into the first substantive division. It can be as brief as one paragraph: it can be as long as three or more pages.

This project portfolio is an introduction of my final major project (FMP), concluding my first year UAL extended diploma, in creative writing and journalism. My FMP is a magazine which covers many things; revolving mostly around teenage interests, the current struggles that affect teenagers and much more. Chapter one of the project portfolio includes information on my background, my skills, my weaknesses, my interests, etc, etc. Overall, it answers the question of ‘who am I?’. It will also include my initial ideas and the journey I took to decide on my final idea.

The Background of my Project

Who am I? Use the following to help and guide you through this section.

See week 1 PowerPoint: mind map task: Link to Week 1 FMP https://creativewritingandjournalismstaff.wordpress.com/2020/03/19/final-major-project-fmp-week-1-and-2/

Why I write – updated - what has changed, or developed further from this exercise in the first session?

Why I Write – Megan Foster – creative writing and journalism (wordpress.com) September 2020

I feel very strongly about writing, and mostly for the same reasons. However, due to my developed range of writing skills and styles, I now write in a more professional manor, sometimes for fun and sometimes to experiment. I understand how important writing is to everyone, as well as in the industry itself. I have a much wider understanding of how different pieces of writing impact the industry and general life, this defiantly motivates me to write more and in an effective way. I have stronger interests in writing for others too now rather than just as a release for myself.

Look back on the Research sessions about YOU. Who you are, inspirations, observations on life, when you were born, family, likes and dislikes, opinions etc? Here you can take some of your previous writings and blog posts to address some of following questions. You can use any medium (Videos, photos, audio, sketches, etc.)

What is it that makes me do my project? My personal experiences that influence my choices (idea for the project, my role in

the project, how it relates to my future career)

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What is the basic premise of my project? What do I seek to achieve and how it relates to my target audience

What did I learn on my course? This is the skills analysis task.

Demonstrate your achievements through proposing and realising a project, which integrates the skills, knowledge and understanding acquired throughout the course. Write about your one-year experience on the course and what you have learned during the course. Also, compare where you were when you enrolled on the course and where you are now.

Use a timeline where you depicted skills and knowledge you acquired during your course.

REFER DIRECTLY TO THE BLOG POSTS FOR EACH SESSION OF SKILLS. USE LINKS, SCREEN SHOTS, RECORDING TO SHOW THE SKILLS. REFER TO THESE LATER ALSO AS PART OF THE RESEARCH.

LINK TO WORDPRESS BLOG BELOW:Megan Foster – creative writing and journalism – everything and anything (wordpress.com)

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Three possible ideas for your FMP are:

Pulling on skills learnt in sessions and other units, Who Am I and other experiences and then finally linking then to your final choices:You must:

• Originate range of ideas for FMP – at least two e.g. a collection of short stories, a feature article or a collection of poems

• Produce SWOT analysis of your project ideas:

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

• Analyse each idea for viability – use focus groups and lecturer to support your decision.

• Reflect on each decision as part of the writer’s journey so far and what you need to further develop.

• Choose the project you would like to move forward with based on all of the above.

Chapter one complete- (click link below)https://www.canva.com/design/DAEZfpLucw8/lUI3QOoPqSjAQvOjFDGCew/watch?utm_content=DAEZfpLucw8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

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PAUSE:

Now fill in the Proposal SEE P7 ABOVE

What is my project about?When defining your interest and or topic and or theme, define it regarding some observable event. For example:

Todays generation is very observant of social issues, progression, tolerance and many important issues. There is also a large group of young adults who are interested in alternative ways of life, for example with fashion, music, diets, religion, etc. Combining these topics, I plan to create a magazine that is inclusive and interesting. With a headlining piece on sexism and sexual harassment and articles on both racism and homophobia, I want to add fun, light-hearted, feature pieces: punk fashion, a page on all thing’s alternative music and astrology. These should grab the attention of generation z.

The headlining piece will tell a story of a girl, oversexualised since a young age. Due to this oversexualisation and the normalisation of this behaviour, she gets into some horrible situations. Situations that could have been avoided with proper education on sexual assault and sexual harassment, and with more precautions in place. Alongside this will be statistics, images and history.

There will be many relatable aspects for all readers.

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My Research PlanCome up with a Research Mind Map, and/or time-line, and/or spidergram and explore the following areas of the research

Industry/published or broadcast examples (at least three) Topic/subject/themes Target audience Personal knowledge and influences behind your choices for medium and theme Skills and techniques needed

Table 3- My Research Plan

FMP - RESEARCH PLAN No. of Words

Interest/Topic/Theme 123I have extensive plans for primary research, ranging from, surveys, email communications and interviews. My plans are to; create a few surveys to send to classmates and friends for topic research but also audience research, to have twitter communications with other mutual writers for tips, inspiration, background information and feedback on my ideas, to have email communications with inspirational writers for tips and an understanding of their journey to success, and finally, overall idea feedback from people who fall into my target audience. For secondary research I plan to use masterclass for tips and tricks, as well as websites with similar information, I will also research into other magazines, both of, similar, and completely different concepts and research into the individual topics themselves.

Why is it important? - Importance 128research is crucial to my project, it benefits me for many reasons; I can gain

skills and professionalism by learning from published work and their writers, I

can gain an understanding of what will appeal to my target audience in an

engaging and interesting way, it also helps me to compare my own work and

massively improve it, from the very first draft, down to the last. The research

is important to my work, my passions, my interests and much more.

I wanted to do this project because I wanted to explore all my interests in an

informational yet entertaining way. Not only can I build other people’s

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knowledge and understanding, but I can widely improve my own; both in my

passions as well as in the industry.

My research question(s) 55What style/design is best suited for my magazine?What will draw the attention of my target audience?How many pages are magazines usually?what genre of magazine is mine; how does it compare to others in that genre?Where do writers get their inspiration from?Statistics for some topics.Racism and homophobia questions on survey.

Research Design - methodologies (all the different methods)

510

being a writer-I researched being a writer through a meeting/guest speaker interview with Julie Wassmer. This was primary research. I recorded all information in my notebook, in a concise format. However, before the meeting, I research Julie herself, gaining a range of understanding on where she came from, her journey to success and her work itself, this was secondary research. This used lots of listening and reading skills as well as confidence and questioning skills. I have lots of helpful information from this, including an insight into where writers find inspiration.Magazines-I used google images to find a range of magazine covers from all different genres, narrowing them down to the ones I felt fit my magazine. Then I put all my findings into a word document to analyse them and use them for professional comparisons to my own work. This was secondary research. Attention to detail and analysis skills were very prominent in this. This helped narrow the ideas that my target audience (16 to 20-year olds with an interest in things like politics or feminism) will find interesting, engaging and useful.I also plan to go through paperback magazines, as well as online, to identify the most effective and efficient way of design, layout and presenting information inside the magazine. Racism, homophobia and mental health- I created a survey with 10 major questions revolving around my topics. I sent this to my classmates, and to 17-19-year olds who I associate with on social media. This was primary research. This took lots of critical thinking skills to decide on effective/appropriate questions, also analysis skills when looking at the findings and what they mean. Statistics-Alongside my own survey findings, will be a group of statistics for all

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necessary topics. I will spend lots of time carefully fact checking all sources I use to ensure I have the correct information for my readers. These statistics will come from websites, magazines, newspapers and most importantly charities which focus on tackling the issues. This will be secondary research.Software-I have had to do lots of software research to find the best one and how to properly use it. Celia has a WordPress site which offers tutorials for these, therefore I spent time watching and understanding these, as well as using other websites/streaming sites. This was secondary research.Overall, all my research will be compiled into a WordPress post in which I will link to the project portfolio, with any extras.Literature (Proposed Sources – Harvard Format)

Please, copy this part straight into your Project Proposal.

CHAPTER 2 – RESEARCH See links to word press blog posts for guidance: https://creativewritingandjournalismstaff.wordpress.com/2020/03/19/fmp-week-3-4-and-5-research/

This is an introduction to your research and what will you try to find out.

This chapter explains research methodologies and Findings for your FMP. It starts with research questions and follows with a description of the research design or methods of intended research sources and

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research methods you will use to explore and investigate your medium and themes. E.g. poetry and identity.

Figure 1- What is Research

Figure 2- How to ask good questions

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Look through the research chapter of last year’s students work as examples and guidance Final Product:http://online.fliphtml5.com/zhnv/roms/

Introduction to ResearchStart with stating the intent of your FMP Research. In this chapter you will write about and state:

The main aim of my project is to create an inclusive, relatable, informational and comforting outlet for my target audience, with this I need to research a large amount to cover all types of life struggles and to understand the different situations people experience throughout their lives. As a writer, I need to understand all the key elements involved, as well as having extensive knowledge of the industry itself. I am always expanding my knowledge of what makes a writer successful, I plan to continue this throughout my project.

The research for this project covers a range of questions, inquires, facts, etc. First, I need to find ways of being the best writer/journalist I can possibly be. I need to research statistics and facts for my stories, along with successful structural methods and styles, seeing as that is what I lack in understanding currently. I need to research articles to compare to my own. I need to research magazine covers and layouts to prompt and influence my own. I plan to do an interview with a writer, research them and take essentials from that. I will make surveys to help with my work and to identify the interests and maturity levels of my target audience.

See link for research completed:

https://meganfosterblog0.wordpress.com/2021/05/18/fmp-research-compiled/All research + methods here.

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CHAPTER 3Research Design, Methods and Strategies: Primary, Secondary, Qualitative and Quantitative

Introduction

A WIDE RANGE OF SOURCES MUST BE EXPLORED AND INVESTIGATED AND COLLECTED

My research ranges from interviews to surveys to web searches.

See link above for research, methods and what they were useful for.

Primary: Survey (x2) Interview//focus group Teacher feedback

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Secondary: Collage of magazine front covers for design research. Online articles from The BBC, The Guardian and Metro News. Statistics from ons.gov.uk. Presentation/previous lesson from college.

• Target audience

I used social media to research my target audience. By interacting with large accounts and finding a demographic that I personally also fit into helped to identify the interests of my target audience.

• Production research

My production research included a lot of sketches, rough notes and drafts.

I will upload the PowerPoint with this work onto Wordpress (linked below). https://meganfosterblog0.wordpress.com/2021/05/30/production-research/

CHAPTER 4 Writing and Presenting my Research Findings This part is your research evaluation: how did it go, what were the most significant, relevant, impactful, and important aspects, info you have gleaned/found/discovered?

This is the research that really helped you understand the questions you asked. https://meganfosterblog0.wordpress.com/2021/05/30/research-results/

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See this link for results.

See link in chapter 2 for further detail on research.

Conclusion - How did the research help me with my project? (Interpreting Research)

Research throughout this project has helped me to better my skills as a writer, editor and designer. I’ve learned many useful things for specific parts of each industry. I feel as though it have boosted my confidence.

Despite helping with my overall skills, the research benefited this project massively. If I had lacked research there would be many key components missing. From statistics, to basic structural hooks. Personally, I feel the primary research helped with my actual stories and their structures, the secondary research helped with my skills as well as the stories, the secondary research helped to add professionalism to my work.

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CHAPTER 5 My Project - preproduction, production and post-production

Introduction In this chapter you should present the level of self-direction, personal initiative and commitment necessary to progress ideas and find solutions, and the practical, theoretical and technical comprehension, appreciation, knowledge and proficiency necessary to achieve identified goals. The ability to plan and organise work within a given timeframe and the efficient production of outcomes both individually and collaboratively.

Pre-Production - tell me how you begin to put your product together. What are the first steps to writing and producing your creative ideas:

See link in chapter three for pre-production process.

My ideas originally formulated due to my own interests. I am a very passionate person and I believed I could use this to produce something powerful.

I created my ‘who am I’ board and then focused in on my skills, weaknesses, likes and passions, to decide what I want the main focus to be.

From this I decided I would create a magazine with influential and impactful stories, which interest people but also give them a sense of comfort. The topics I decided to focus on included, sexual assault/sexualisation, racism, homophobia, mental health, music, fashion and astrology.

Production

It was a very long process creating my actual articles.

The headlining piece consisted of 4 drafts; 2 drafts on paper, 2 drafts on Wordpress and then the final piece.

The second piece had 5 drafts; 1 very short trial on paper, a proper draft on paper, 3 drafts on word press and then the final piece.

I will attach a link to the feedback I was given to help improve these drafts.

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https://meganfosterblog0.wordpress.com/2021/05/30/feedback-compiled/

My magazine design was a harder process, I had to learn how to use a completely unfamiliar software to being with (Adobe photoshop). I also had to learn many other software devices; snippet tools for example.

I experimented with different colours, fonts and pictures. I added images and got rid of them, moved things around, etc. After completing my first magazine cover, I decided I hated it.

This meant I completely freaked out an thought I’d have to start again. That was not the case. I got some help from Celia, she helped me identify the aspects I did like and helped me to work around them and develop it.

I changed the colour scheme, got rid of some images and changed the fonts. This left it looking much more modern.

Despite wanting to have a range of stories I only ended up having the time to write two. Luckily, they were the largest, main articles. I had also planned to create a whole magazine but due to the breakdown in the middle and sudden change I didn’t get the time to fit this in either.

Post-production The production of this project was tough. With support, I got half way to where I wanted. I am happy with what I produced, but given the time I would most definitely like to write more. I would like to have written a feature article, a review and more human interest style stories. If it had been possible, I would have written the stories into articles on my magazine but I did not have time to create extra pages and designs to write them into .

I would also like to have more pages than just the cover and a concept of the contents page.

But, I uploaded the final stories onto Wordpress, along with the process and the development of my cover until it’s finalised piece.

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CHAPTER 6 MY FMP – FINAL PRODUCT

https://meganfosterblog0.wordpress.com/2021/05/12/the-detrimental-impact-of-normalised-sexualisation/

https://meganfosterblog0.wordpress.com/2021/05/24/casual-prejudice-and-the-call-for-change/

https://meganfosterblog0.wordpress.com/2021/05/26/visual-fmp/

CHAPTER 7Project Evaluation

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Critically evaluating your final media project against the agreed requirements and

parameters.

I set out for the aim of my project to be create an inclusive, relatable, informational and comforting outlet for 16 to 20 year olds, in the form of a magazine.

There were lots of setbacks and lots of self-doubt. Despite this, I wrote powerful stories with practical structures, impressive use of statistics, extensive amounts of interviews and evidence and effective writing skills.

My headlining piece is influential, compelling and dynamic.

With this project, I got to explore my passions. This boosted my research.

The research I completed was to a high standard, it motivated my work and I enjoyed partaking in it. It developed such a large range of skills, I genuinely feel like a much stronger writer from it. It helped with my structures in the work, mainly.

I discovered persuasive text fonts for my magazines front cover. The layout followed similar, successful, modern magazine styles. Doing this, I learned how to use Adobe photoshop too.

When it comes to weaknesses, my time management and confidence were my biggest. They impacted this project significantly. Ideally, I would have produced more articles, including different styles and mediums, but I was not as organised as needed.

After a few weeks of working on my front cover, I decided I hated it. I had lots of doubt and time wasting in this process. It definitely caused some breakdowns. But, eventually I created a cover I was much happier with. It can be improved in many ways but I’m much happier with it. I changed the colour scheme and the background, I also changed the fonts and sizings and got rid of some images and text. It was a hard experience.

I struggled with structure of my articles, mostly focusing on the lead/opening. It took a few drafts until I felt they were professional enough to get feedback on. Without feedback, my openings would have been severely lacking in human interest and the ability to hook the reader.

I made a few syntax errors like ‘renowned for avoiding these issue’ and ‘their experiences with homophobia’. These were also changed after feedback.

I took influence from successful magazine covers with a similar target audience to me. These included, The Atlantic, TeenVouge and Seventeen. I put them into a collage and identified the designs and styles I liked.

In terms of experimenting, I explored different styles of openings for my articles. To do this, I wrote drafts with different openings and uploaded them for feedback. I experimented with different leads, I tried starting with statistics, human interest stories, definitions, etc. This helped me to identify the most fitting opening for each specific story.

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There was lots of experimenting, in the sense of trial and error, with my magazine cover. I tried different fonts, colours, backgrounds, and images. Trying a mix of different designs broadened my ideas and helped me to grasp the concept of my magazine.

I took lots of support from journalism sessions we had done prior to the project, in week 2 of college.

The skills I developed include a range of writing skills and some more specific journalism skills. These are skills such as researching, communication, syntax, proofreading, and story telling across mediums. I developed my focus on audience too.

I learned the importance of human interest in journalism. This links to my improved structural skills. I used lots of online articles to help build these skills by comparing my articles with professional ones. I highlighted the hook and the process the article goes through, in the professional one and structured mine in a similar way.

Considering my proposal, I stuck to the themes of politics, racism, homophobia and mental health. I also created a headlining piece and a journalistic piece, one of which kept the biographical theme I planned. I believe it does have a feeling of ‘you are not alone’, like I intended. However, I am missing the review and feature articles I wanted to create. I also didn’t cover all of the topics I wanted to, this takes away from the lighthearted side of the magazine that I wrote about in my proposal. I feel as though it does relay information in the way I planned though.

There are many improvements that I could make, and I feel like I have expressed how much I would like to change and improve certain parts. I really wish I had more time, and less stress in home life, so that I could focus more time on my FMP. I have really improved so many skills and built a new confidence but I would like to develop more. I would like to change and experiment more with my magazine cover, then I would like to create the full magazine. Along side that, I would like to write in a range of mediums and forms. I really wanted to write a review but I did not have time, therefore this would be a big focus.

I feel as though, despite the huge set backs with home life and breakdowns in college, I have gotten further than I expected to last week. I spent most of my time worrying it wasn’t going to get done, or wasn’t going to be good enough, which held me back more than necessary. But, I came to the deadline with an extremely powerful and potentially publishable headlining story and a strong second piece. I have a different perspective on the industry but it has definitely motivated me more. I feel as though it has been a very beneficial journey and process for me.

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Department of Media and Communication

APPENDICES

Extended project in creative media production Learning Outcomes and Assessment

1. Understand the requirements of a creative media production project.

1.1 Analyse the requirements of a creative media production project.

2. Be able to use research methods to inform ideas for creative media production.

2.1 Review a range of research sources to support a creative media production project.

2.2 Interpret research to develop ideas and effectively communicate to an audience

3. Be able to use skills, knowledge and understanding in the completion of a creative media project.

3.1 Apply practical skills, knowledge and understanding to complete a creative media project within an agreed timeframe.

4. Be able to evaluate a creative media project.4.1 Critically evaluate a creative media project against the agreed requirements and

parameters.

REFERENCES

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Department of Media and Communication

Make sure you use Harvard referencing. The bibliography should be continuously updated as the project progresses.

Extended project, UAL level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Writing, Media Department, Canterbury College, 2021.

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