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MUSIC:
Originality (possible score: 20)
This is usually the most obvious quality and is very easy to identify. If you are aware of the current and past trends in music, you will be very aware of copycats. You will be able to comfortably label an album as unique and trend setting.
Creativity (possible score: 40)
Originality does not necessarily apply here. Originality and creativity are related but there can be hardly any originality in an album but still be great due to the creativity in the music, lyrics and arrangement. A good example of this is U2.
Quality (possible score: 25)
This category is often used as the first critiquing tool for a lot of people. That’s possibly why a lot of good bands go unnoticed in the mainstream world (i.e. Radiohead, Spoon, The Shins, etc.). If it’s unusual or different, people will sometimes automatically tune it out and assume it’s not “good.” They mistake the act of recognition with quality. If they take the steps of critiquing the originality and creativity first, they will discover the beauty of something new. Then when they get to critiquing the quality of the album, if it’s good, they will see how it compliments the message, sound, and emotion of the album and be truly blown away. If it’s bad, they will have truly critiqued the album by pulling away the layers of artistic expression and looking at the bare talent and quality of the music, lyrics and arrangement of the album.
There is also another side to critiquing the quality of an album. When I disagree with a negative rating of an album from a critic, it’s usually when I believe that the critic did not give enough credit to the quality of the album. Critics tend to give a lot of praise to originality and creativity, which is not a bad thing, but sometimes they overlook the criteria of quality as an artistic importance. Of course quality will apply to not just the music, but also the lyrics and organization of the album as a whole. A good question to ask yourself is, “Does the album flow well and does it feel well put together and complement the purpose of the album?”
Other (possible score: 15)
This is the category that helps adjust the rating in case the other categories do not cover a criteria. For example, use this category if an album is low in originality and quality but it’s really creative and could use a couple extra points to truly represent how you feel about it. Or an album is original and creative, but the artist has no talent, so the points feel too high, you can give it fewer points in this category. This gives you room to adjust a little here and there. It’s more of a category to express how much you like the album, or how much you believe it deserves recognition.
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FILM:
Originality/Creativity (possible score: 35)
Originality and creativity are combined in the Film category due to the fact that they are not as important as in music. Since film is visual and usually depicts aspects of life, they are in some ways limited by real life. Of course this is not always applicable, but that’s when the “other” category can be used.
Below is the breakdown of this category.
- Acting (6)
- Directing (6)
- Cinematography (10)
- Screenplay (13)
Quality (possible score: 50)
Quality is a huge importance when it comes to Film. Unless there is a purpose to the message of the film, quality should be an essential part of critiquing a film. Independent films sometimes thrive on the look of amateur quality, but there is usually an intimate feel that the film maker is going for.
Below is the breakdown of this category.
- Acting (15)
- Directing (13)
- Cinematography (12)
- Screenplay (10)
Other (possible score: 15)
Use this category as a balancing tool in case the other two categories do not cover a quality that you are trying to include. Use it negatively or positively at your discretion.
DVD:
This category is only used when reviewing the quality of the DVD content, such as the extra features. We use letter scoring from A+ through F.
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BOOK:
Since our collective knowledge of literature is limited, we do not feel it is our place to critique in detail on this subject. Our comfort zone, at this point, will only allow us to give out letter grades. In the future, we hope to expand our knowledge in this area, but until then, please enjoy our amateur opinion.
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