HO HO HO...things to do over Christmas

Here are the links to the two videos I showed you in class today:

The level 3: http://mediaweb.northallertoncollege.org.uk/mediablogs/lucyhart/2010/04/
The level 4: http://yaleblock1mediaproject.blogspot.com/

Look at the strengths and weaknesses of the two productions - and plan how to avoid their mistakes.

On a similar note, here is a Level 1 video: http://www.chrisadamschrisadams.blogspot.com/

What makes this a poor Media product (look at your mark schemes).

Over the holidays:

1. Complete your audience analysis, using appropriate media theory and terminology
2. Create a mood board for your target audience

Make sure both pieces (along with ALL your other planning and research) is on your blog. I will be checking over Christmas and you need to be in a position to start filming when we return in January. Your production is worth 60% of your final grade so it's vital that you make it as polished and as professional as possible.

Have a great Christmas,
Mr Kirkaldy

How to do your blog (and how not to)

Here is a very useful resource for putting together your blogs. It's a blog from the exam board that has lots of examples of work from a variety of levels, so you can see how to hit certain levels:

http://getaheadocrmedia.blogspot.com/2010/09/as-work.html

Example of a good AS Media Studies blog

Here is a very good example of the kind of thing we are looking for from your blog. Use the navigation at the side to take a look at the kind of thing this student has done, particularly on the Research and Planning side of things:
http://alexjowettmedia.blogspot.com/

Storyboarding tips

Here are a couple of links that might help you put together your storyboards:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcXfgBLRv_E
http://www.ehow.com/video_2389857_storyboard-movie.html

Hope they help.

Research and Planning

OK, now your preliminary task is completed, you need to turn your attention to your actual coursework task.

Before you start filming, you need to research your film genre and target audience, then plan your shoot. Remember, according the the mark scheme, excellent research and planning involves:

• Excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience
• Excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props
• Excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding
• Excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning
• Excellent time management

To achieve this...

AS A GROUP:

• decide what genre of film you are going to make
• define your target audience using appropriate media theory and terminology

INDIVIDUALLY:

• watch the opening of a film in this genre and make detailed notes on the genre conventions contained within it (ie, use of camera angles, diegetic and non-diegetic sound, lighting, camera cuts/transitions)
• come up with an idea for a film within your chosen genre and storyboard the opening credits and opening scene of that film. THIS IS TO LAST NO MORE THAN TWO MINUTES

AS A GROUP:

• select which storyboard idea you are going to turn into your production piece

Camera angles - definitions

Here are some useful camera angle definitions. You need to use appropriate terminology when analysing film for your research and when creating your storyboard.

Preliminary task

Coursework preliminary task

Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

By next lesson:

1. Set up your own AS Media Studies coursework blog and email me the address: jky@cheney.oxon.sch.uk
2. Storyboard an idea for a scene that would work for the above brief, including camera angles. shot duration and any dialogue. Here is a link to the storyboard template - download it, print it off and away you go: http://www.ftvstudy.com/page24/files/page24_2.png

For your reference:

Match on action is when some action occurring before the cut is picked up where the cut left it by the shot immediately following. For example, a shot of someone tossing a ball can be edited to show two different views, being sure that the second shot shows the arm of the subject in the same stage of its motion as it was left when cutting from the first shot.

Shot/reverse shot is when a scene shows a series of opposing views, so that the audience sees action from both sides. The most common of these is Over The Shoulder and Over The Shoulder Reverse.

The 180° rule is a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects.

AS Media Studies blog - you'll need one too...

Hi all,

One of the things you need to do for your AS Media Studies coursework is set up your own blog, a bit like this one, to act as a repository for all your practical work.

This is so that a) I can check you're meeting deadlines and b) the examiner can see all your research, planning and preliminary work.

So, go to www.blogger.com and sort yourselves out.

Mr Kirkaldy