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Assignment Brief
Unit 4: Media Project Assignment 1: 'The Proposal and the Pitch' Brief Information Project Title: 'The Proposal and The Pitch' Date Issued: Monday 2nd November 2009 Submission Date: Deadline 1: Pitch: 7th December 2009 Deadline 2: PEF critical Review: 14th December 2009 Results Date: 24th May 2010
Year 2 Mode of assessment: written and oral presentations Tutor: J. Fagan
Brief Verified: 18th December 2008
This unit is linked with the learning in Unit 1: Contextual Studies, Unit 2: Media Industries, Unit 3: Research Techniques, Unit 5: Production Management, Unit 6: Practical Skills Audio, Unit 8: Practical Skills Moving Image, Unit 13: Radio Documentary, Unit 14: Audio Package Production, Unit 17: Radio Magazine Programming, Unit 20 Music Programme Production, Unit 26: Camera and Lighting Workshop, Unit 30: Promotional Video Production, Unit 31: Film and Television Drama Production and Unit 32: Film and Television Documentary Production.
Assignment Outline Film, television and radio are all marketplaces and their currency is ideas; your ideas. The ability to generate original content that interests you and will also attract an audience is vital to any career in the media industries. However, having a strong idea is only half the battle - presenting this idea professionally ('proposal') and delivering an engaging verbal pitch or presentation to potential interested parties (‘pitch’) - producers, independent production companies, commissioning editors - is the other vital task for all programme makers. Your task is two fold: 1. 'The Proposal': Working in your chosen production teams or as an individual, you must originate and negotiate an idea for your Media Project. Having done so, each learner must prepare a written proposal on agreed idea. Content is open, but projects must be of substance to merit progression to production stage. Ideas for projects can be original and/or may link into other Units of the qualification (see over for details). 2. 'The Pitch': each learner must deliver a 5 minute oral presentation 'selling' your idea to your tutor and peer group. This 'pitch' must not be just an oral rehash of your written proposal (i.e. no reading written presentations); it must engage the audience and be presented in manner that allows them to see the potential of your idea. Learners may use any aids that enhance your oral presentation (power point, diagrams, performance, storyboards, research, video presentations etc); Remember, your goal is to engage and excite the people you are pitching to so that they will ‘commission’ your idea. It’s up to you to decide what format will best serve the verbal 'pitching' of your idea.
Assessment Components Title Media Project
Unit No. 4
Learning Outcome No. 1,2
Tutor J. Fagan
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Considerations As already discussed, to ensure that your workload in approaching the Media Project does not become too overwhelming, you are being given a range of options to allow you to develop your own ideas individually or to use other unit assignment work as the basis of your this unit. Your options for your Media project are as follows: (a) MEDIA PROJECT AS EXISTING ASSIGNMENT 1) RADIO DOCUMENTARY – you may choose to make your radio documentary as your Media Project. Here Orla will be your key tutor, liasing with me at all stages of production to ensure you meet the learning outcomes of the Media Project Unit. You must produce a documentary that satisfies the demands of both units. 2) FILM AND TELEVISION DRAMA PRODUCTION – you may choose to use your drama as the basis for your Media Project – I remain your key tutor here and will liase with you to ensure you’re meeting the learning outcomes of both units. Selecting existing assignments is a way of easing your workload – you cover one additional unit with projects you’re currently undertaking. (b) MEDIA PROJECT AS NEW PROJECT IDEA OUTSIDE EXISTING ASSIGNMENTS You may also produce a project from an idea want to develop that does not fit any of the assignments already listed. If you opt to do this there are two rules that must be worked to meet unit requirements: 1) Project must be deemed by me to be of sufficient weight to merit the production as a Media Project. This is a key requirement of the unit; the work must be substantial, as dictated by the unit guidelines. 2) All productions are team productions due to the limitations on resources –if it is a solo project you are undertaking, you are still going to need a team of individuals to help out in its realisation. You must produce evidence of ability to adequately crew/cast/etc any idea that you want to pursue. If you have a similar area of interest (e.g. TV doco or drama or Radio Doco etc) with others in class, it is worthwhile discussing you idea’s with each other in advance and creating a Media Project team in prior to your submission. If you decide to go with option (b), then you must consider the following: choice of content for the Project is entirely open - selection will be based on the substance and quality of the idea and the fact that it is realistic (i.e. 'do-able') within the resources provided by the college.
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Guidelines The proposal should explain clearly your programme's central concept and take us through the creative and practical challenges of your idea and how you will overcome them. It must be presented in a professional manner in a production file (see Proposals & Pitches handout for template). NB: if using your radio Doco or TV Drama as your proposed Media project, you may adapt already submitted pitches (as per template indicated) for this project. Obviously, if it’s a new idea, you must present a new pitch. The proposal should engage the reader, encouraging them to see the potential of your idea for attracting an audience. All pitches will be filmed. Following individual verbal presentations, there will be a Question and Answer session for each production team or individual; you must deal effectively with comments and critiques of presented ideas. Finally, each learner must conduct a survey analysing and reporting on audience feedback on quality of your programme idea, how effectively you performed and your presentation’s success or otherwise. N.B: Each learner must keep a project logbook documenting the process of devising, negotiating, agreeing, developing their written proposal and pitching their programme idea.
Deliverables CHECKLIST of assignment deliverables: The following evidence must be presented on submission date: Deadline 1: Pitch – Monday 7th December 2009 Written Proposal as per templates attached Video Recording of Oral Presentation Evidence of Oral Presentation preparation and presentation aids as appropriate - Note cards, script, handouts, VT trailers, research documentation, storyboards etc. Project logbook detailing meetings with tutor to include: 1. Main discussion points 2. Agreed outcomes with responsibility allocated. Deadline 2: PEF Critical Review – Monday 14th December 2009 Project Evaluation form – analysing Audience feedback as attached.
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Grading Criteria To achieve a PASS grade the learner must meet all the assessment criteria identified in the unit brief.
Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
1. Devise a project and submit a detailed proposal
identify, devise, negotiate and agree a media project generate project specifications
2. Present the project to an audience
produce a comprehensive schedule of tasks for completion of project take part in an oral presentation explain the project in a positive manner
Evidence
Written proposal
Video recording of pitch Oral preparation notes Presentation aids (as appropriate) Written proposal
deal positively and effectively with audience comments and critique
Video recording Tutor observation
gather,analyse and report on audience response
PEF reflecting on own performance and analysing audience feedback
Grading Criteria To obtain a PASS grade, the learner must meet above outcomes and assessment criteria as indicated.
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Merit To achieve a MERIT grade, the learner must meet all the above PASS criteria AND show evidence of the following: Grade descriptor 1.Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions.
Evidence Project logbook and/or written proposal and/or oral presentation notes shows considered judgements have been made in selection and preparation for presentation of programme ideas.
2. Select and apply appropriate techniques
Effective use of presentation aids, Video recording of pitch and Tutor Observation shows a considered awareness of techniques for engaging in pitching proposal content.
3. Present and communicate appropriate findings
Video recording and Tutor observation shows engaging and audience aware approach has been used for presentation. Audience comments and critiques are dealt with skilfully. PEF suggests a number of improvements to own performance and programme idea.
Distinction To achieve a DISTINCTION grade, the learner must meet all the above PASS and MERIT criteria and show evidence of the following: Grade descriptor 3. Demonstrate convergent/lateral and creative thinking
Evidence Proposal and Presentation shows creative thinking in delivery of content.
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BTEC HND MEDIA Evaluation Sheet Prompts Comment on…. 1. Understanding: Were there any aspects of the brief that you did not fully understand and if so what did you do about this? 2. Organisational skills: How effective was your management of this project? How well did you time manage your production? Did you meet the deadline comfortably? 3. Problem solving/logistics: What difficulties and/or obstacles did you encounter and how did you deal with them? How did your pitch and proposal turn out in relation to your expectations? 4. Technology: What presentation aids did you employ pitch your project? How effective were they? Were there any difficulties encountered and if so how were these resolved? What additional aids might have helped increase the effectiveness of your presentation? 5. Review: Explain your audience feedback methodology and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your presentation and your programme idea. How well or otherwise do you feel you dealt with the Q&A session? What, if anything, would you do differently if you were to do this assignment again?