Evaluation

The journey of creating my blog was not an easy one. In the beginning, I found it difficult to decide on a topic to write about. However, once I got started, the ideas began to flow, and I began to find it easy to write. The more I wrote, the more I found it easier and more interesting, especially the post that I did about paintings and films, it was my favourite one. The more blog posts I was writing, the more I realized the significance of the theme I was exploring, how films take inspiration from everyday life and how I can teach others about these connections, through my research.

Throughout the semester, I think I managed to achieve the primary goal I set for myself when starting the blog. My main goal was to reveal and explain the link between films and real-life experiences. My main goal was also the meaning behind the blog title ‘Fiction Meets Reality’. I think I managed to achieve this goal because each blog post explored the connections between films and real-life events in detail. I made sure to find these similarities and used visual references to support my points and make the blog more engaging for the viewer. Adding images and real-life examples made the analysis clearer and more engaging for readers. I also think that I achieved this goal because when I asked the question “Does the blog match the theme ‘Fiction Meets Reality’?” to my peers, they all gave back feedback that my posts do a good job of connecting with the theme ‘Fiction Meets Reality.’ Quote from the peer feedback “it does a great job connecting Freud’s theory to characters in The Dark Knight. It shows how ideas from psychology shape fictional stories, making them feel more real.”

Research: Strengths and Weaknesses

Research always plays a huge role in the success of a blog or writing, so I had to make sure that I did my research well. To do this I searched through different types of sources such as websites, academic journals, books, paintings, films, and even advertisements. Having a variety of sources helped me look at each post from different angles, making it easier to connect films to real life in a balanced way.

Strengths that I had in my research were: the ability to find information that connects films and real-life scenarios, finding and using a variety of credible sources, and the ability to explain complex topics in a way everyone can understand “The blog is clear and interesting. It explains Freud’s ideas in a simple way, and the examples make it fun to follow.” (quote from peer review).

Weaknesses that I had in my research. There was a limited number of media examples I used as a reference in some of my posts. For example, in the semiotics post and the final blog post, I could have explored more examples from different films to further strengthen my post (I even got this in my peer feedback). Going deeper into these posts would have made the blog better. Another weakness is that sometimes, I spend too much time on one part of the research that I possibly found more interesting and rush others that I find less interesting.

Did I examine the potential impacts of social and cultural aspects in media?

In my blog "Fiction Meets Reality," I examined how films reflect and influence social and cultural aspects of society. I did this by exploring how media portrays, social themes like inequality, political issues, and consumer culture. Additionally, I analysed how cinematic techniques such as art, semiotics, and psychology are used to shape and affect our cultural values. Through this,I was able to show how media both reflects and shapes society and achieve the goal mentioned before.

 

Feedback on my work

From the feedback that I got on my work, I can say that in all my blog posts I managed to find and connect the link between fiction and reality, which as stated before was the whole theme of the blog. Here are some peer review comments on whether my blog connects with the theme/title ‘Fiction Meets Reality’:

·         “I think your blog definitely fits the theme “Fiction Meets Reality” because films shape how people see gender in real life.”

·         “Yes, both posts align well with the theme. ‘How Films Reflect and Shape Our World’ explores how cinema mirrors societal changes, making it a strong example of fiction influencing reality. Are Films Moving Paintings? connects film to visual art, emphasizing how storytelling and aesthetics shape our perception of reality.”

All of my peers found the blog enjoyable and easy to read, but sometimes I had some parts that could have been smoother.

·         “The writing is clear and engaging. Your explanations are detailed without being overly complex, and this is good because it makes the post accessible to all people.”

·         “I think your biggest strength is how clearly you explained everything. You weren’t just saying “films do this,” but you also explained why it matters”

·         “Your writing is mostly easy to follow, but some parts could be a little smoother. Sometimes, it feels like you repeat certain ideas…. Maybe you could shorten some sentences or combine similar points to make it flow better.”

Overall, from the feedback that I got, I need to improve on re-reading my work to make sure that I do not have parts where there is no flow. Another improvement is to mention more examples about the topic that I am discussing “One area for improvement could be the inclusion of a broader range of films. While "Jaws" is a good case study, discussing how semiotics function in other genres or films would have made the post better.” On the whole, all the feedback about the blog was positive.

Have I critically and carefully analysed the purpose of my research and my blog and its potential in my future projects?

The main goal of my personal blog was to find the connection between films and real life, however, the whole purpose of this research for me was for me to learn something new. Instead of just watching films/media for fun, I learned to dig deeper to understand the social and cultural messages behind them. The research I did for my blog, I can say that it truly helped me have a better understanding of how to read an image or any type of media. In general, this whole process made me appreciate media more, think more critically (not just about what I am seeing), and learn a lot.

For me, this blog's potential in my future projects was to give me more knowledge on media and to prepare me for my thesis. It wasn’t just a project; it was a way for me to learn how to do in-depth research and analysis I will be doing later. Every post I wrote and every bit of research I did, was a sneak peek into what I will be doing on a much bigger scale in the future. In a way, my blog was a mock test, helping me refine my ideas, research skills, and writing style. Apart from that, a topic I have already written about in my blog might even become the foundation of my thesis.

In conclusion, creating this blog came with challenges, but I still managed to achieve my goals. I gained a deeper understanding of how films reflect real life and was able to share the research through my posts. Despite some weaknesses, the research was strong, and I learned a lot from the process. This experience improved my critical thinking and prepared me for future academic work, including my thesis.