Course Context Aims and Rationale of the course • BTEC National Extended Diploma (three A levels equivalent) The aims of the BTEC National in TV and Film are to develop student’s interest in the production and manufacture of media texts within the film and TV industry, and to develop their skills in those productions. This is done through:• Investigation of a number of media formats including: animation, trailers, advertisements, short films, generic programs, music video and documentaries. • Introduction to a range of theories within these industries: these include theories of genre, representation, audiences, narrative, etc. • The introduction and development of skills in pre and post production such as: writing treatments, writing scripts, storyboarding sequences, completing location surveys, compiling research that will inform your final production. • Building skills in the use of hardware including: digital video cameras, boom microphones, tripods, stills cameras and lighting. • The introduction and development of skills in digital editing and print production through the use of software packages. • Developing analytical reflections through the assessment of your own work and that of your peers (in a critically constructive manner).
How the BTEC National is assessed
The programmes of study are taught through a range of assignments that are assessed on specific units attached to them (usually one or two) which the assignments have been designed to meet. Each unit has several learning outcomes that must be met to complete and gain a grade for each unit (pass / merit / distinction). Failure to gain a grade in at least one unit will result in the failure of whichever overall BTEC qualification you are working towards next. At the beginning of each of the assignments, students will receive an Assignment Brief, which will detail that tasks involved what to do to meet the assessment criteria and strict deadline dates. • BTEC National Extended Diploma (19 Units covered)
How the qualification is graded This overall qualification is graded on the Scale of: Pass, Merit and Distinction, at the end of the two year course, the final qualification is equivalent to 3 A levels Here is a table to summarise each qualifications equivalency outcomes: Advanced Diploma (3 A Level) Final A Level Grade Equivalent F U PPP EEE MPP CEE MMP CCE MMM CCC DMM ACC DDM AAC DDD AAA D*DD A* A A D*D*D A* A* A D*D*D* A* A* A*
Units and Modules The BTEC National is taught through a number of assignments depending on the type of qualification. All of these assignments have a vocational context, meaning that they comparable to work that would be set a company or freelance operative when working in the Film and TV business. Each of these assignments outlines: the individual task that is set; how the task meets the marking criteria what is needed to be done in order to reach certain grades; the evidence of work and planning that is expected to be achieved by the end of the assignment; the assignment deadline. Each unit is split into several (3-5 Learning Outcomes). When a project is marked each of these Learning Outcomes receives an individual grade depending on the evidence which addresses this. The overall grade for that unit is the lowest individual Learning Outcome grade. For example, if a student has 1 Distinction, 1 Merit and 1 Pass for a unit that has three learning outcomes, the current grade of this unit (and this unit may be revisited again in future) is a pass, as this is the grade of the lowest learning outcome. Some units may be revisited more than once to guarantee achieving higher grade, class wide. Most projects will consist of two units (never more). Here is a list of the projects that contribute towards each level of qualification, the units that are taught and assessed through them, and how many weeks are dedicated to each:
Qualification: BTEC National Extended Diploma (3 A Level) Project
Unit Name
No
Weeks
Year 1 Interview Zombie Film
Music Video
Audio Foley
Script & Research
Government Advert
Corporate Video
2
Communication Skills for Creative Media Production
2
1
Pre-Production Techniques for the Creative Media Industries
6
22
Single Camera Techniques
1
Pre-Production Techniques for the Creative Media Industries
29
Music Video Production
2
Communication Skills for Creative Media Production
38
Soundtrack Production for the Moving Image
3
Research Techniques for the Creative Media Industries
24
Writing for Television and Video
8
Understanding the Television & Film Industries
30
Advertisement Production for Television
5
Working to a Brief in the Creative Media Industries
28
Corporate and Promotional Programme Production
4
4
7
7
7
Year 2 Film Trailer
Film Noir
Animation
Kids TV Show Points of View Documentary
4
Creative Media Production Management
16
Film and Video Editing Techniques
1
Pre-Production Techniques for the Creative Media Industries
23
Multi Camera Techniques
2
Communication Skills for Creative Media Production
33
Stop Motion Animation Production
1
Pre-Production Techniques for the Creative Media Industries
37
Presentation Techniques for Broadcasting
6
Critical Approaches to Creative Media Products
27
Factual Programme Production Techniques for Television
36
Interview Techniques for Creative Media Production
7
5
4
4 5 8
Lesson Times This course is taught through 13 hours a week of in class tuition and supervised production over the course of two years, culminating at the end of those two years in the BTEC National Extended Diploma (3 A Level equivalency). As well as these 13 hours a further 1 ½ hours will be added for Tutor and Tutor related Personal Progress Meetings (14 ½ hours altogether).
Staff Teaching on the Course Those teaching on the course are: Ian Burnett – Teacher of BTEC National in Media (Year 1 & Year 2) ib@wilberforce.ac.uk Stewart Markham – Teacher of BTEC National in Media (Year 1 & Year 2), and AS & A2 Communication & Culture. ssm@wilberforce.ac.uk Gareth Tully – Teacher of BTEC National in Media (Year 1 & Year 2), and BTEC First in Media. gvt@wilberforce.ac.uk Robin Makey – Teacher of BTEC National in Media (Year 1), BTEC First in Media, AS & A2 Film Studies, and GCSE Media Studies. rnm@wilberforce.ac.uk Phillipa Chan - Teacher of BTEC National in Media (Year 1), BTEC First in Media, AS Media Studies, and AS Film Studies.
pec@wilberforce.ac.uk
Homework Once each of the assignments has begun, students will be expected to be spending 1 – 3 hours a week, continuing the physical production and paperwork. Bearing in mind the time and production constraints for each project it would be impossible to purely complete each piece of work using only the allotted time within designated lessons – development work outside of these sessions is absolutely essential. This will be particularly significant when it comes to filming the productions. Students will often want to film their productions outside of college in their own time as it will allow them film in a range of locations other than the college. All of the resources and help sheets can be found under their specific their specific qualification, year and assignment names on Moodle, the college’s interactive learning environment.
Materials and Resources The college will provide all of the hardware (cameras etc) and software (computer programs) along with the Assignment Briefs and other learning materials. Students will be expected to attend college with a pen and paper at the minimum. The acquisition of a pen drive or portable harddrive would be a benefit but certainly not a requirement of the course. These are available for competitive prices at the college library. College will provide each student registered on the BTEC National in Media a Media Loan Card that is required in order to book out a piece of equipment from the colleges IT services Department. There is a series of rules and regulations regarding the booking out of media equipment from
the college: these will be presented to the students within the first week of starting.
IT facilities/software used The majority of the course is taught in two fully equipped computer suites as well as some time being spent in traditional class rooms. The computer suites are equipped with computer software that will be used on the course: Sony Vegas 10 – ‘Platinum Edition’ (digital editing package); Microsoft Word; Microsoft Excel; Microsoft PowerPoint; Microsoft Publisher; Stop Motion Pro and Adobe Photoshop CS2. There is a range of software that is also available within college: digital video cameras, digital stills cameras, tripods, boom microphones, steady cams camera tracking and headphones. These items can be rented out from the IT Help Desk in College once students have their college Media Loan Card (see above).
Study Support Whatever course you’ve chosen, and whatever level you’re studying at, there is a good chance that at some point during your time at college there will be something you need a little help with, and our drop in and one-toone study support sessions are available for exactly this reason. Sessions can be short or long term depending on your needs and study support tutors are available to help with virtually any course as well as providing support for those with more specific needs such as dyslexia, time management or organisation difficulties. For more information please call either Jill Naylor or Lesley Hodgson on
01482 711688 or visit us in A103 in the Study Centre. We will be happy to help!
Punctuality Students will be expected to arrive promptly and on time throughout the year. Arriving at the beginning of the lesson during the group production stage will help the class teacher to speak to the whole class before specific groups will be continuing with work. Failure to attend may result in missing vital information necessary to the completion of the current project. Student with continued poor punctuality may be placed on a NTI (Notice to Improve), and monitored further. As the class will be in groups it is essential that college is informed if there is to be an absence from the lesson, which will enable the group to make other arrangements for the completion of work.
Assessment/Target setting Students will be closely monitored by the teachers throughout the production of the assignments. There is an interim assessment (sometimes 2 interim reports in the case longer projects) that is detailed in the differing Assignment Briefs, which is in place to make sure that students are making the progress expected throughout their assignments in terms of the completion of task and their quality. Students will receive a grade after each of the assignment set, this will be displayed on a tracking system that will be placed on Moodle, the College’s interactive learning environment, so that students will be able to keep track of their progress, and gauge their distance to their desired final grade.
Health and Safety Each student will be given training on the use of cameras and tripods before they are released into the care of students. If any problems occur with the equipment, students should contact the IT helpdesk as soon as possible (ithelpdesk@wilberforce.ac.uk) .
If you have any concerns regarding the above please email or speak to: Robin Makey
rnm@wilberforce.ac.uk
Stewart Markham
ssm@wilberforce.ac.uk
Ian Burnett
ib@wilberfore.ac.uk
Gareth Tully
gvt@wilberforce.ac.uk
Phillipa Chan
pec@wilberforce.ac.uk
A note about PLAIGARISM Coursework and homework are a substantial and important part of this course. It is important that everything you submit as your own work is your own work. Passing off the work and ideas of others as your own is plagiarism and cheating. Upon completion of all projects you must submit a hard copy of your completed brief including a signed authentication statement. This statement declares that all work produced for this project is your own (or as part of a larger group – if that is how you are working). Please remember:
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We have discovered instances of Plagiarism in work submitted. Usually the work of a professional film / media reviewer or University professor is fairly easy to spot slipped into the essay of 16-18 year old. Key phrases stolen from the internet can easily be traced back to the source.
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If we are at all suspicious that any part of your submitted coursework is not your own we will investigate further through research or Internet Google search.
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Other peoples work can be used in the case of secondary researched as long as it is fully acknowledged and referenced where appropriate. Failure to do so still counts as plagiarism.
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If we discover any instances of plagiarism in a student’s work we will waste no further time in assessing that work. Let’s face it – it’s not yours…
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Sometimes plagiarism does escape our attention but it is identified by the moderator from the exam board. If this happens they always investigate. Depending on the extent of the plagiarism you will lose marks or may get a zero for that unit or indeed the whole course.
- Any direct quote from a magazine or book or website must have “inverted commas” around it and be clearly referenced in brackets or a bibliography.