2014-15 AS Media Studies Main Task
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AS Coursework Checklist – Main Task (There should be at least one blog post about each stage)
Task
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PLANNING AND RESEARCH Decide who you are going to work with and blog a production company name and logo Upload your preliminary task film to your blog via YouTube Evaluate your preliminary task (see page 3) on your blog – what have you learned that you will need to remember for the main task? Complete the ‘jelly baby’ task for two of the film pitches (see page 4). Upload your photos to the blog with an explanation of your shot choices. Pick your film brief (see page 5) and justify your choice on the blog. Research films from the genre of your film brief and blog a list of identifying traits of the genre – things you will need to include. Blog a graphic breakdown of the opening of a film from within your genre (see breaking down film titles on page 6) Research the opening sequence of several films (similar to your film brief). Each member of the group should blog a full textual analysis of at least 1 opening (use of camera, editing, sound and mise-en-scene) in the style of a G322 Section A answer. Pick another film opening from your genre and choose the 9 key screen shots from it (see www.artofthetitle.com for inspiration). Annotate and blog the 9 shots describing why they are the key shots and what you can take from them as inspiration. Create a mood board, scan or photograph it and upload it to your blog, write a short entry on why you have used what you have on the board. Audience research – research which films people think have good openings, what attracts people to films and what puts them off. Blog your findings. Go to http://www.uktribes.com and use it to help define your perfect audience member. Blog a complete picture of your audience member, from clothes to the food they eat, music they listen to. You can get a friend to dress up in the appropriate costume and take photos. Go to the ‘Pearl and Dean’ website (http://business.pearlanddean.com/audience_profile) and investigate how they categorise their audiences. Can you fit your film to their ideas? See Audience Segmentation (page 8) and categorise your audience using these ideas. Research the institutions that might produce, distribute and exhibit your film (use http://launchingfilms.info/ and http://www.launchingfilms.com/links/). Which distributor fits your genre and audience?
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Task Define the key elements you must include in your opening to conform to the expectations of the genre you have chosen, the audience you have chosen and what is expected of a film opening. Blog a check list. Create a story arc for the whole of your film; blog a brief synopsis. Investigate narrative theories (Propp, Levi-Strauss, Barthes etc.), find an interesting way of presenting them and blog how your story fits them (or doesn’t) – see page 9 Create a storyboard (either drawn or photo-strip) Plan the sound of your movie – are you having a soundtrack, or just Foley sounds? Blog where you’ve found your sound and why you have chosen what you have. Create an animatic of your storyboard Blog a shot list and shooting script Plan locations and take location shots. Blog your reasons for choosing these locations. Seek permission to use the locations. Do a risk assessment (see page 5) and blog it Cast your film and take casting shots. Blog your reasons for your casting. Plan and collect all props and costumes – blog your list with photos PRODUCTION Shoot your film – remember to take production stills for your blog POST-PRODUCTION Make a rough edit and check that you have all the shots you need Do any re-shoots and pickups needed Complete finished edit Post your finished film to your blog via YouTube EVALUATION (see page 10) 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 2. How does your media product represent particular social groups? 3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? 4. Who would be the audience for your media product? 5. How did you attract/address your audience? 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? 7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
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Evaluating your preliminary task Section 1: Filming Process What went well? What mistakes did you make? What have you learned to take forward to your main task? Section 2: Meeting the brief Your brief was to film and edit a sequence in which a character opens a door, crosses a room and sits 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. You should try to make this interesting! Evaluate how well you have met the brief. Section 3: Technical Skills Evaluate your preliminary task in relation to each of the following technical skills. How well have you done with:
using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions; using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set; shooting material appropriate to the task set, including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene; using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.
As with all work in media, you will be rewarded for using technical terms and specific examples, ideally referenced to a time code in your video. It may also be helpful to include screen-captures of particular shots or edits to illustrate your points, and still images from your video shoot to demonstrate what roles you took on.
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Jelly Babies! You are going to use jelly babies and a camera to mock up the start of a film in 5 shots.
1. Choose two of the film briefs: a) Thriller – An indie thriller about someone who is different from everyone else, aimed at a female audience. b) Horror/Thriller – A ghost story; scary but able to be rated PG. c) Independent – An independent movie with a young protagonist. d) Comedy/drama – A comedy drama that would appeal to a teenage audience.
2. For each brief, you have 5 shots, anything else you can find in the room and as many jelly babies as you need. 3. Plan how you are going to mock up the opening titles of your brief. Remember you have only 5 shots and you have to give a lot of information. How are you going to imply the genre, the gender of the characters, the mood of the movie? 4. Take your five shots and upload your results to the blog with an explanation of what you did and why. (There will be prizes for the best ones). 5. Each member of your group must comment on your jelly baby task. What was easy, what was hard, how did you make meaning, how did you use the camera? 6. Repeat the process for the second of your chosen briefs.
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Film Briefs Choose one of the following briefs: 1. Thriller – An indie thriller about someone who is different from everyone else, aimed at a female audience. 2. Horror/Thriller – A ghost story; scary but able to be rated PG. 3. Independent – An independent movie with a young protagonist. 4. Comedy/drama – A comedy drama that would appeal to a teenage audience.
The Pitch During the pitch you need to convince me that you will be able to successfully make the film, and that you have a good idea for your interpretation of the brief. •
Think about how you are going to appeal to your audience.
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Give a brief account of the plot of your film.
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Discuss the locations you are going to use.
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Think about the logistics of your film.
The pitch should be no more than two minutes long.
Risk Assessment Complete a table to risk assess your film shoot: Hazards (potential dangers/hazards that could result in significant harm)
Persons at Risk
Existing Controls
(who?)
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Level of Risk
Further Action Required
(with existing controls, Low, Medium, High)
(where level of risk is medium or high)
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Breaking Down Film Titles 1. Pick an opening (film) from www.artofthetitle.com or another film of your choice from YouTube. 2. Watch the sequence several times over 3. Get a big sheet of plain paper and mark out a timeline, then go through and write on it where each title comes in. (See ‘Juno’ example as a model below)
You could improve on this by adding colour.
4. Mark the following on the timeline: a. Description of each different sequence of shots (what you see) b. Titles – mark them with a ‘T’ number them, and describe what they tell you. c. Sound d. Company credits 5. Scan the breakdown and upload it to your blog.
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Analysing Opening and Title Sequences All analysis must be detailed and focus on:
The media language of the sequence
Representations where appropriate The target audience and the impact on the audience An evaluation of the sequence
You will be rewarded for reference to specific shots, time coded to the embedded video clip Ideas of things to write about Title Sequences Music o Style o Atmosphere o Genre o Instrumentation Titles o Font/lettering o Animation o Transitions Mis-en-scene Use of camera Editing o Transitions o Speed/pace Genre o How is genre denoted? Information given o Famous stars o Recognisable institutions (e.g. Disney, Dreamworks)
Opening Sequences Mis-en-scene Use of camera Editing o Transitions o Speed/pace Genre o How is genre denoted? Narrative o What do we learn about the story? o How is that information conveyed? Representation o What do we learn about the character(s)? o How is that information conveyed?
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Audiences can be broken down by:   
age gender By demographics (ethnicity, geographic location...)
Social Class: social grade
social status
occupation
A
upper middle class
higher managerial, administrative or professional
B
middle class
intermediate managerial, administrative or professional
C1
lower middle class
supervisory or clerical, junior managerial, administrative or professional
C2
skilled working class
skilled manual workers
D
working class
semi and unskilled manual workers
E
those at lowest level of subsistence
state pensioners or widows (no other earner), casual or lowest grade workers
Social Values / Mindsets Mindset Group
Characteristics
Self actualizers
Focused on people and relationships, individualistic and creative, enthusiastically exploring change, 'in a framework of non-prescriptive consideration for others'
Innovators
Self-confident risk-takers, seeking new and different things, setting their own targets to achieve
Esteem seekers
Acquisitive and materialistic, aspiring to what they see are symbols of success, including things and experiences
Strivers
Attaching importance to image and status, as a means of enabling acceptance by their peer group, at the same time holding onto traditional values
Contented conformers
Wanting to be 'normal', so follow the herd, accepting of their circumstances, they are contented and comfortable in the security of their own making
Traditionalists
Averse to risk, guided by traditional behaviours and values, quiet and reserved, hanging back and blending in with the crowd
Disconnected
Detached and resentful, embittered and apathetic, tending to live in the 'everpresent now'
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NARRATIVE THEORIES Tzvetan Todorov Narratives depend on conflict to create a disequilibrium. The resolution of these conflicts creates a new equilibrium. Claude Levi-Strauss Narrative depend on conflict between two opposites (called BINARY OPPOSITIONS) – good and evil, truth and lies, rich and poor – and the resolution of this conflict resolves the narrative. Roland Barthes Narratives move forward through a series of codes which the audience understand. Enigma codes create “mini-cliffhangers” or puzzles which the audience want to solve. The resolution of these puzzles satisfies the audience. Vladimir Propp Narratives are organised around recognisable character types and actions which the audience recognise. This creates automatic sympathy, distrust, or fear. The vindication of these feelings when the sympathetic character wins out satisfies the audience. Texts which overturn these expectations can also be satisfying! Character Types The Hero The Villain The Donor The Dispatcher The False Hero The Helper The Princess The Princess’s Father
Actions Preparation Complication Transference Struggle Return Recognition
Syd Field Narratives are organised into a three act structure: setup, confrontation, resolution. There are clear links between Field and Todorov.
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MAIN TASK EVALUATION Questions to address: 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 2. How does your media product represent particular social groups? 3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? 4. Who would be the audience for your media product? 5. How did you attract/address your audience? 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? 7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? Presenting your evaluation You need to present your evaluation digitally, either as:
A podcast DVD extras such as director’s commentary or “making of” video A blog post with interactive elements such as video, stills A PowerPoint via Slideshare/Scribd or (better) a Prezi A website
…or a combination of two or more of the above You need to view the evaluation as a creative task and the exploit the potential of the format chosen through the use of images, audio, video and links to online resources You can take most questions separately (though 4 & 5 belong together) You can address each question in a different format – some might lend themselves more to commentary, some to presentation, some to written blog posts Vary the presentation and make it clear which question you are addressing in each format. See the PowerPoint for more details.
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