G325 Section A Theoretical Evaluation of Production Skills Question 1(a) Foundation Portfolio to Advanced Portfolio Question 1(a) requires candidates to describe and evaluate their skills development over the course of their production work, from Foundation Portfolio to Advanced Portfolio. The focus of this evaluation must be on skills development, and the question will require them to adapt this to one or two specific production practices
All students must explain at the beginning of their answer what brief they are discussing. Foundation Portfolio: Video: Preliminary Task : Main task: The titles and opening of a new thriller film. Advanced Production: Brief 1 : A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with a digipak and magazine advertisement for the digipak
Skills Examined G325 Section A: 1 a) 1) Digital Technology: This question requires you to explain how you used your skills in digital technology in a minimum of two of your productions: An example question: How did you make creative choices using digital technology in two productions? It is important that you do not waffle and reference specific aspects of your practice/how you used digital technology CREATIVELY. Remember the examiners will not have seen your productions so be precise and use media terminology. Think about how you CREATIVELY used the following to appeal to your audience and to communicate genre) •Digital Cameras (remember the names of the cameras you used) • Editing (name of programme and specific aspects of editing at least two of your productions: transitions, narrative order etceteraL •How you creatively imbedded sound (diegetic and non diegetic) •Power points, slide shows, video diary etc in your evaluation
Skills Examined G325 Section A: 1 a) 2)
Research and Planning:
This section asks you to explain how you creatively used research and planning in a minimum of two of your productions : Exemplary question: Describe how you developed research and planning skills for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to creative decision making. All discussion on planning need to be linked to research: Think about the focus of your research : • Thriller : how your research was focused on how directors creatively utilised or established genre within mise-en-scene. • Your discussion on planning must be linked to your research. • Advanced portfolio: How your research was focused on generic aspects of mise-en-scene, editing, narrative structure etc. • How you used the internet and blogs.
Skills Examined G325 Section A: 1a) 3) Post Production: This section asks you to discuss editing from either of your briefs. You must explain the editing software you used. Exemplar question:
Discuss the ways in which you have exercised creativity during postproduction? Think about: a) Thriller film: Discuss editing setting up narrative structure, transitions (fade to black, dissolves, jump cut etc); adding sound (diegetic and non diegetic) and titles. Change of colour to indicate flash back. Focus on how you used editing tools. b) Advanced Portfolio: Either your music video (transitions, lip sync, constructed narrative structure, altered speed/timing, lighting, colour etc). Change of colour to indicate flash back . c) Print productions,: Explain how you used photo shop to manipulate images and text to compose your digipak or magazine advertisement.
Skills Examined G325 Section A: 1a) 4) Using conventions from real media texts This question focuses on how you used generic conventions in your thriller and your music video and or print productions. Example question: In what ways have your productions used or developed conventions adopted from real media products Genre: Thriller film: Revise Question 1 of your Evaluation from last year and this year. This should be easier to discuss, think about lighting, camera angles, locations, objects, colour saturation‌. Music video: If your music vidideo is a combination of genres then discuss a specific model you used. Think about INTERTEXTUALITY and performance with out takes of band; (inter textuality) using silent film , real films, literature and fairy tale as a model; using your promotion of the artist to tell a story so that your audience can identify with the band/artist.
Layout: Conventions of the medium: You may wish to focus your answer on the conventions of the medium. For example the conventions of the opening of a thriller film with specific use of titles, introduction production company and actors and cliff hanger. The conventions of a music video (short, fast transitions, amplifying lyrics, or sound, promoting artist with lots of close ups (think about Goodwin). Conventions of digipak and or advertisement.
Skills Examined G325 Section A: 1a) 5) Creativity:
A question on creativity will not stand alone, it will be a concept that is likely to be included in any question on digital technology, research and planning, post production and conventions. You need to identify aspects of the above 5 areas where you can discuss your creative use of lighting, or camera angles, location, narrative structure, genre, character types, editing and so on. •Digital Technology: Think about creative use of camera, editing, blogging, use of soundtrack for thriller etc. •Research and Planning: How you used your research to add creative elements to aspects of mise-enscene. • Post Production: Creative use in editing skills, use of sound, colour saturation. Credits, transitions, speed and so on. • Using conventions of real media products. How you either developed, used or challenged conventions of genre or conventions of the medium.