MEDIA STUDIES AS LEVEL 2012, FOUNDATION PORTFOLIO, MAIN TASK

THE EVALUATION

Marks for your Foundation Portfolio coursework are distributed as follows :-

Product
Opening to thriller Research and Planning Evaluation
( (posted on blog)
60 20 20

• Foundation portfolio Product (Film opening) – Final editing deadline: Friday 23rd March

• Research and Planning are ongoing (and you should continue to improve content over Easter)

You now need to start your individual Evaluation

Draft deadline: Friday 30th March (5 days from when sat)
Final deadline: Friday 20th April

An evaluation must be completed by every student individually in the group, and must be on the blog by the final deadline: April 20th.

Make your own copy of your product before the end of term so that you can make precise references to shots in the sequence. You will need to supply your own blank dvd for this.

In order to acquire audience feedback (essential for your own evaluation), you must upload your final film to youtube (use our account – ask Andy or Ollie). You could also use Facebook, Twitter or similar. When you have done this, put a link on your blog.

Format for the Evaluation:

The exam board states that the evaluation must address the questions appearing below. There is no word count specified. Ensure that your answers address each of the questions fully.

The evaluation must not be written as an essay. The examiners are looking for a creative and visually interesting submission. You will have a number of questions to answer, and for each, you will have to present your answer in a different format – however, it will all be accessed through your blog.

In addition, you will need to demonstrate informative and analytical discussion which uses media terminology and answers questions in full.

The questions that must be addressed are as follows:-

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Demonstrate that you understand the conventions of a thriller, and use terms to explain this. Discuss how this can be applied to your product.

You should make reference to both your own film and actual thrillers in your answer.

You need to explain how your product uses those conventions and forms of a thriller film, and how you have tried to do something unique and different.
If you have had any feedback from members of the target audience (eg through youtube), then you should incorporate comments as supporting evidence.

FORMAT

Present this in the same way as “The Art of the Title” 9 frame sequence. Choose any 9 shots from your film opening. For each, apply the conventions of thriller, the aim being to clearly demonstrate that you understand the conventions of thriller. You should be looking to apply concepts such as :- enigma, restricted and unrestricted narration, iconography, protagonist & antagonist, binary oppositions, use of camera, sound, & editing, typical elements of mise en scene (the 11 areas, and specifics within them eg low key lighting), use of typical themes and issues, and how the 3 stages of narrative





2.How does your media product represent particular social groups?

‘Social groups’ refers to the types of social groups your characters belong to; for example, their gender, age, social class, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.’

Here, you need to consider the same questions on representation as you are going to use to frame your work on representation in TV Drama. For example, you need to ask who is being represented by your product (Gender? Age? Ethnicity etc)?

Be sensible about this, and focus on the main characters in your product. You then need to ask How they are represented? Here you need to analyse the representation of your types of characters in terms of the use of technical codes (eg camera, mise en scene, editing, sound).

You should consider whether these are positive or negative representations (ie stereotypes) of this social group, and how this is achieved.

You might also discuss who has the power or higher status in your film opening. Is this more in line with traditional or modern representations of the types of people you have chosen to represent?

Next you need to ask Why? Here you need to explain why you have represented a particular character (eg a woman) in this way. Perhaps you wanted to create empathy with the audience, or perhaps you wanted to indicate that he/she is an antagonist? You may need to link this to the conventions of a thriller, but you must explain clearly your rationale for creating the characters this way.

You will need to specify who your audience is for the product, and why you think the characters help to target this audience. Perhaps your representation fits in with standard stereotypes? If so, you will need to discuss why this is, and explain why you did this. Do not simply describe what kind of person your character is: description is not textual analysis, and will not achieve a pass grade!

Use material from your work and real media products throughout.

FORMAT

Standard Blog Format – lots of visuals - still images and screengrabs, embedded moving image and hyperlinks. All text should be written as precise bullet point responses and clearly structured around sub titles.

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Here you need to consider the distribution route for your product. You will receive some teaching on this SOON, so do not attempt to write this section until you have received specific teaching on this issue. Use links and visuals here to illustrate where possible.

FORMAT

Standard Blog Format – lots of visuals - still images and screengrabs, embedded moving image and hyperlinks. All text should be written as precise bullet point responses and clearly structured around sub titles.


4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

Your audience must be clearly stated, in terms of gender and age. You should also suggest which other real thriller films your audience has enjoyed (try to find evidence of this). Normal age categories include 11-17, 18- 35, 18-45 or 35-55.

FORMAT

Standard Blog Format – lots of visuals - still images and screengrabs, embedded moving image and hyperlinks. All text should be written as precise bullet point responses and clearly structured around sub titles.


5. How did you attract/address your audience?

Here you need to explain why your audience would enjoy your film. Select detail from your film to support your answer, including material on, for example, the story told through the narrative, the use of camera, the use of mise en scene, the use of character, the reference to certain themes or issues, and the use of sound.

Standard Blog Format – lots of visuals - still images and screengrabs, embedded moving image and hyperlinks. All text should be written as precise bullet point responses and clearly structured around sub titles.


6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Here you need to consider all of the technology you used for this main task. You could include images of you using some of the equipment. what have you learnt about the camera (methods, procedures etc), and what you learnt about using the editing software (image, sound & titling). Be honest and discuss difficulties that you had and how you overcame these. Again illustrate with imagery.




FORMAT

You will need to upload a film of yourself discussing this OR upload a sound commentary of your discussion


7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the full product?

Here you need to explain how you think you have progressed from the preliminary task to the main task. You should discuss your development of technical skills – the use of camera, sound editing, vision editing, your use of continuity editing (if this has improved!), your construction of character and story. Again, use screen grabs and make cross refs to earlier blog entries).


FORMAT

Again, present this in the form of the 9 frame sequence used by “ART OF THE TITLE”












If you need help with uploading anything to the blog/youtube, see Andy or Olie



Work to be done in own time – No lessons are allocated to this.


DRAFT EVALUATION DEADLINE – POST TO BLOG – Friday 30 March
Failure to post your draft evaluation, without prior discussion and agreement by your supervisor results in zero feedback.


You will receive your feedback from Monday, April 16th. You then have 4-5 days in which to make adjustments/incorporate the feedback.


FINAL DEADLINE for evaluation and entire portfolio:
Friday 20th April.