Have a look here for more info on Question 1

Practice A2 questions.

2 hour examination

Spend one hour, reading your notes and planning this, then put your notes away and write for 2 hours. 3 hours out of your life to guarantee success!

Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production

1a) ‘Fail to plan and you plan to fail’. How important was your research and planning in helping you to target a specific audience? Refer to both foundation & advanced portfolios. (25 marks)

1b) What role did the concept of narrative play in the development of one of your productions?  (25 marks)

Section B: Online Media

1. ‘Without convergence the internet would be obsolete’. How far do you agree or disagree with this statement in terms of audiences and institutions?  (50 marks)

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Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production

1a) ‘The real creativity takes place in post production’. Did you find that technology helped or hindered your creative ideas?  (25 Marks)

1b) ‘Media language is a negotiated concept’. What was your preferred reading for one of your productions and how far did your target audience adhere to this?  (25 marks)

Section B: Online Media

2)  Web 2 has significantly changed the Media. In what ways has it benefited audiences and what must institutions do to retain control?    (50 Marks)

Today's lesson

Genre: Use magazine.

a category of media products classed as being similar in form and type

Genres operate alongside narrative constructions in line with audience expectations, eg magazines of a particular genre are expected to contain a specific kind of narrative discourse ( language)

Appropriate generic conventions of existing magazines. 

eg Student magazine:

generic conventions?

up beat, cheesy, school featured background, academic setting, talent - students, not particularly high production values. 

Narrative discourse: contents: relevant to student life, events, interview with head girl, university items.

Music Magazine:

Generic Conventions? Feature main article artists on front, eye contact, 

prices, links to websites, got to sell, USP, might be linked to genre of music represented? 

Narrative Discourse: language different- colloquial, specific terms relating to genre 

indie genre, title of magazine part of ND but also closely linked to the genre of music its representing eg `pulse”

Aesthetic: visual aspect/brand identity ‘created an indie aesthetic’.

Plan for: 1b) An audiences enjoyment f a media product depends on their awareness of Genre'. Explain how you used or subverted conventions of Genre to target your audiences.

1. Define audience readings: negotiated reading preferred, oppositional readings
2. understanding of genre developed and became more defined student-music
3. Focus on either music/student & how you either subverted or used-refer to research a bit.
4. LIAR generic conventions of language, 
5. I: from schools point of view, or music magazine-commercial, zeitgeist.
6. A: negotiated reading
7. R: how your talent is represented (oppostition of student look-music look)
8. Conclude: Every audience will consume a product differently depending on their demographic. We all come to a product with slightly different expectations. Music journalism in particular is very genre orientated and an audience who has purchased a specific product will have done so with an interest in that area. I used/subverted conventions and found from my audience feedback that......

Practice paper

Spend 2 hours on this:

1a)‘Anyone can be creative as long as they have the right technology”. How far do you agree with this statement and how does it reflect your own experience of media production?

1 b) ‘An audiences enjoyment of a media product depends on their awareness of Genre’.  Explain how you used or subverted conventions of Genre to target your audiences.

2. Section B Media In the Online Age

How important is the relationship between audiences and institutions  and technology in  cultural consumption of Media?
Refer to at least two different media forms

Questions to Consider for Portfolio Question:

1. What are the five biggest mistakes you made in your production?
not enough footage, so used extra that had been filmed while camera was left on.
unsteady shots
worried about the 'look', lack of confidence
lack of eye contact with subjects
too much footage (planning)
low quality lighting
scheduling, logistics of organising talent
didn't target audience specifically enough
didn't push my limits enough
AS blog not interactive enough
didn't refer back to blog & theory enough



2. What did you do to overcome them ( this is being creative!)
used flashbacks
started again, not afraid to cut out, hard to be selective but important
watched other Alevel submissions & felt better!
Looked back at research
listened to talent & focus groups ideas, went with the flow rather than rigidly sticking to the plan

3. Think of 5 pieces of advice you would give to someone embarking on their Portfolios.
dont always play safe, be creative
refer to blog & use it
be creative but remember tech specs, steady shots, lighting etc
always consider your audience needs and expectations
get feedback from focus group as you are going along
be selective and dont be afraid to cut if its not right for your product
be confident and dont doubt yourself
film more footage than you think you'll need
be selective about location
plan, plan, plan and then don't be afraid to bin the plan.

Language

Iconic – Signs which are what they represent

Indexical – Signs linked o a certain aspect e.g. cardboard boxes imply homelessness

Symbolic level – Signs with deeper levels of meaning e.g. American Flag – freedom

Signifier – the physical form of the sign

Signified – what the sound or image expresses

Charts for evaluation

Analysis charts

View more presentations from petefraser.

Your production should be finished by now

Have a look here as a good way to structure your evaluation. Remember, I have to send your marks off on Wednesday

Mock Examination that you will take on the first week of January

Year 13 Media Studies A2 Mock Examination
January 2010



Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production
You must answer both 1(a) and 1(b).
In this section you need to write about your work for the Foundation Portfolio and Advanced Portfolio units. You must answer both 1(a) and 1(b).

1 (a) “Digital technology turns media consumers into media producers”. In your own experience, how has your creativity developed through using digital technology to complete your coursework productions? [25]

(b) “Media texts rely on cultural experiences in order for audiences to easily make sense of narratives”. Explain how you used conventional and / or experimental narrative approaches in one of your production pieces. (25)

Section B: Media in the Online Age
1. How is consumer behaviour and audience response transformed by online media, in relation to the past? Use the topic of online news provision and one other from the following to answer your question:
Music downloading and distribution,
the film industry and the internet,
online television. (50)

Monday 14th December

1. All practical artefacts must be completed this week.

The films and commentaries need to be exported into idvd. From this application you can create a menu.
You can also upload still photos of your dvd package to include on your DVD.


2. You need to compose questions to ask your audience. You should upload these onto your blog underneath an embedded version of your video so your audience can respond. Read through the evaluation questions first ( on previous post), so you know what you need to know from your audience.

What you have left to do:

Deadlines:

Unit G324: Advanced Production.

14th December: Music video & digipak- audience feedback conducted.
4th January 2010: Evaluation & blog submitted to examination board for January entry, the results come out in March.

There are loads of resources and guides on the blog at:
http://shsgmusicvideo09.blogspot.com/

Examination:

Taken in the summer.
One paper, 2 hours.

Unit G325: Critical Perspectives in Media.

Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production
Section B: Contemporary Media Issues
Media in the Online Age
Media in the Online Age
Considering how each (or the two in converged forms) can be analysed from the above prompts. Examples might be music downloading and distribution, the film industry and the internet, online television, online gaming, online news provision, various forms of online media production by the public or a range of other online media forms.

How have online media developed?

What has been the impact of the internet on media production?

How is consumer behaviour and audience response transformed by online media, in relation to the past?

To what extent has convergence transformed the media?

Consider how the following examples can be analysed from the above prompts.
Music downloading and distribution,
the film industry and the internet,
online television,
online news provision,
various forms of online media production by the public.
All of these must be considered in terms of the historical, current and future context.

‘Stretch and Challenge’
It is possible now to get an A*

http://www.virtualmediastudies.com/

Evaluation Questions

We will go through this nearer the end of term, but just so you know what we are aiming for:

The unit is marked out of a total of 100 marks:
20 marks for the planning and research and its presentation;
60 marks for the construction;
20 marks for the evaluation.

In the evaluation the following questions must be answered:

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

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

4. How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

You need to present your evaluation on the blog. It can take the form of a powerpoint, blog entries and/or directors commentary on the DVD.

You must make lots of use ICT, they want to see links to your research, theory, audience feedback. You need to provide quotes from your subjects. Vox pop them and put them into a podcast if they don't want to be filmed.
You can set your blog up so you can link back to previous quotes. Screen shots, commentaries, commentary straight into the imovie, or even an extra normal video. You could interview yourself as the director.

The more imaginative, inventive & multi-platform you are, the better.

Mock Examination

The Mock Examination Question will be:

Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production
You must answer both 1(a) and 1(b).
In this section you need to write about your work for the Foundation Portfolio and Advanced Portfolio units. You must answer both 1(a) and 1(b).
1 (a) “Digital technology turns media consumers into media producers”. In your own experience, how has your creativity developed through using digital technology to complete your coursework productions? [25]
(b) “Media texts rely on cultural experiences in order for audiences to easily make sense of narratives”. Explain how you used conventional and / or experimental narrative approaches in one of your production pieces.

You will also have a question on Media In The Online Age.

Watch this video!

Important Dates:

11th December: Music Video, Digipak and/or magazine advert or webpage completed and printed out.
14th December: Evaluation week. Record your directors commentary ( you will need to write this first) over your video. Film your focus group discussions about your products.
18th December: Break up
4th January: Blogs must be completely up to date & evaluations uploaded by this time as this is the day I will decide on your marks. These have to be internally moderated and all the products printed out, packaged and sent to the examiners on Thursday 7th January.


These dates are not negotiable and there is no time to miss them.
The sooner you get it done, the better! You can put loads of stuff on your blog over the hols.

Digi pak Measurements

27.3 cm wide total

18.2 cm high

13cm wide front & back
1.3 cm for the spine in the middle

In Photoshop go to 'view' then 'rulers', so you can work out where the lines should be

Directors Cut

Evaluation Questions

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

 How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

 What have you learned from your audience feedback?

 How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation

So in order to do this you need to film some audience feedback before the hols, so you need to have your product finished before the hols, so, it needs to be finished, by the end of next week.

You also need to start thinking about the mock exam which will be along these lines:

Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production
Candidates answer two compulsory questions. The first requires them to describe and evaluate their skills development over the course of their production work, from Foundation Portfolio to Advanced Portfolio. The second asks them to identify one production and evaluate it in relation to
one theoretical concept.
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. The list of practices to which questions will relate is as follows:
 Digital Technology
 Creativity
 Research and planning
 Post-production
 Using conventions from real media texts
In the examination, questions will be posed using one or two of these categories.

Question 1(b) requires candidates to select one production and evaluate it in relation to a media concept. The list of concepts to which questions will relate is as follows:

 Genre
 Narrative
 Representation
 Audience
 Media language
In the examination, questions will be set using one of these concepts only.
In some circumstances, candidates will be expected to select the production that appears to relate most effectively to the specific concept that arises in the exam question. However, the requirement
for candidates to evaluate one of their productions in relation to a concept does not assume that the concept will necessarily always fit easily and in an orthodox way. Thus in some cases candidates will be describing their productions in terms of them not relating straightforwardly to the concept. For example, a candidate producing three websites over their two portfolios might describe ways in which websites cannot be understood easily through applying conventional
narrative theory. Whether the candidate applies the concept to the product or uses the production to challenge the concept, it is essential that candidates are sufficiently knowledgeable about the concept for either approach. Candidates may choose to write about work undertaken at AS or A2, main task or preliminary/ancillary.

As the question for 1(b) is different in focus for each
assessment session, and draws from a list of possible concepts, candidates should either prepare to answer on more than one of their productions (so they can choose the production in response to
the specific demands of the question) or prepare an evaluation of one production which covers all
of the possible concepts.

Evaluation Questions

You need to start thinking about this:

G324 is marked and internally standardised by the centre and marks are submitted to OCR by a
specified date, a sample is then selected for external moderation. The unit is marked out of a total
of 100 marks: 20 marks for the planning and research and its presentation; 60 marks for the
construction; 20 marks for the evaluation.

In the evaluation the following questions must be answered:
 In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
 How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
 What have you learned from your audience feedback?
 How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation

1. A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together
with two of the following three options:
 a website homepage for the band;
 a cover for its release as part of a digipak (CD/DVD package);
 a magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package).




Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production
Candidates answer two compulsory questions. The first requires them to describe and evaluate
their skills development over the course of their production work, from Foundation Portfolio to
Advanced Portfolio. The second asks them to identify one production and evaluate it in relation to
one theoretical concept.
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. The list of practices to which questions will relate is as follows:
 Digital Technology
 Creativity
 Research and planning
 Post-production
 Using conventions from real media texts
In the examination, questions will be posed using one or two of these categories.

Question 1(b) requires candidates to select one production and evaluate it in relation to a media
concept. The list of concepts to which questions will relate is as follows:
36 © OCR 2009
GCE Media Studies v4 July 2009

 Genre
 Narrative
 Representation
 Audience
 Media language
In the examination, questions will be set using one of these concepts only.
In some circumstances, candidates will be expected to select the production that appears to relate
most effectively to the specific concept that arises in the exam question. However, the requirement
for candidates to evaluate one of their productions in relation to a concept does not assume that
the concept will necessarily always fit easily and in an orthodox way. Thus in some cases
candidates will be describing their productions in terms of them not relating straightforwardly to the
concept. For example, a candidate producing three websites over their two portfolios might
describe ways in which websites cannot be understood easily through applying conventional
narrative theory. Whether the candidate applies the concept to the product or uses the production
to challenge the concept, it is essential that candidates are sufficiently knowledgeable about the
concept for either approach. Candidates may choose to write about work undertaken at AS or A2,
main task or preliminary/ancillary.

stages?

As the question for 1(b) is different in focus for each
assessment session, and draws from a list of possible concepts, candidates should either prepare
to answer on more than one of their productions (so they can choose the production in response to
the specific demands of the question) or prepare an evaluation of one production which covers all
of the possible concepts.

Level 4 16–20 marks
 There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience.
 There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
 There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
 Time management is excellent.
 There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.
 There is excellent skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the presentation.
 There are excellent communication skills.

The questions that must be addressed in the evaluation are:
 In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
 How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
 What have you learned from your audience feedback?
 How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and
evaluation stages?

Level 4 16–20 marks
 There is excellent understanding of the forms and conventions used in the productions.
72 © OCR 2009
GCE Media Studies – v4 July 2009

 There is excellent understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the
production.
 There is excellent understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
 There is excellent understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
 There is excellent skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
 There is excellent ability to communicate.
 There is excellent use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.




Level 4
The candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in the creative use of most of the following
technical skills:
 holding a shot steady, where appropriate;
 framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;
 using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;
 shooting material appropriate to the task set;
 selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting;
 editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer;
 using varied shot transitions, captions and other effects selectively and appropriately;
 using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task.



The first question will ask students to focus on their skills development in relation to one of the
following production practices: digital technology; creativity; research and planning; and using
conventions from real media texts. Question 1(a) asks students to describe their skills
development and will consequently need discussion of at least two productions. Question 1(b) is
specific to one production piece. The second question will require students to evaluate their
work in relation to one of the following concepts- genre, narrative, representation, audience and
media language.
Will they need to refer to Foundation or Advanced production
work in this?
Either or both. They may refer to their main task, or their preliminary/ancillary tasks. And in
addition, they can refer to production work that they have done outside their A- level course.
Note, though, that this is ‘in addition’ and that the work must be relevant.

Work to be completed by Friday 27th November

You should have uploaded your footage by now and be in the process of editing.
You also need to start on your digipack & website page.
You should keep the blog up to date & really need to step up the pace of this work, we have about three weeks to get this work finished. Have a look here and here to see how other students are doing

Work to be completed by Friday 20th November

All prep and research work should be completed and uploaded now.
You should be focusing on editing your video now.
Don't forget, you have to produce a digipack as well, so you can be thinking about the images you want to include in that.
Keep thinking about the pace of your edit, the more edits you have, the better (probably!).

Work to be completed by Friday 13th November.

1. Music uploaded to itunes
2. Animatic completed and uploaded
3. Footage exported into imovie
4. Location stills and talent stills uploaded onto blog.

Work to be completed for 9th November

1. Animatic of your storyboard.
The reason for this is to:
a) help you learn how to use imovie.
b) get to grips with the pace and tempo of your song to assist with your editing.

The strongest videos always have editing that is right on time with the tempo of the music.


The process for this is

1. Sketch your storyboard.
2. FIlm it, frame by frame, camera on a tripod, storyboard on a well lit wall.
3. Upload music track into itunes- imovie
4. Upload footage
5. Edit.


Have a look here for examples of what an animatic is
and here for student examples

Blogger of the week

For the second week running its.......GINA!!

Monday 5th Oct

Things to do this week:

1. Mood board- the more interactive the better.
2. Annotation of lyrics- record a podcast to discuss your ideas.
3. Treatment and creative proposal- you need to have your ideas finalised this week.
4. Friday 9th Oct give a powerpoint presentation for your treatment, in the lesson on Friday.

Planning your video

You need to consider your 'concept', think about what elements you are going to interpret and expand.
Remember in the Anton Corbijn documentary they talked about the lyrics, 'all I ever needed' perhaps relating to a king having all he ever wanted and that is how the lead singer ended up walking about dressed as a king.

To get you started with this I suggest you copy out the lyric by hand, this way you will think about them more, and record a pod cast commentary over the top of them, discussing which elements you will use.

Think of yourself as an artist, you are the video director, its your interpretation of the themes that is going to create the effect.

You should also prepare your mood board this week. These can be as multi modal as you can make them. Have a look at these Glogs and consider whether you could improve on this.

Watch this video of an interview with a music video director

Anton Corbijn

We watched a documentary about the photographer and music video director Anton Corbijn today.

He approaches video making as an art form rather than a marketing device and got some interesting quotes that add to the more formulaic approach of theorists such as Goodwin.

'He understands the music & the message & translates it into imagery' Depeche Mode

It may help you to think about how we relate to the music in visual terms when you are thinking of ideas for your own videos.

I would like you to write up your response to the doc and upload some stills from his videos, thinking about the abstract and surreal nature of his work.

Have a look at these links:

http://www.corbijn.co.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Corbijn

Monday 21st September

The charts are done now, most of you should include some screen shots as well as the videos themselves, to support the points you have made, think of them as you would including quotes in an essay. You should also consider the inter textuality of music videos and include screen shots of other texts that seem to have influenced the videos you are annotating.

You should now be completing the powerpoints and be ready to deliver them on Friday.
You should include one that is by the artist that you are planning on using.

If you know it would be useful to identify elements from the videos that you are planning on incorporating into your video.

You also need to start thinking about planning your video.

consider:
mood board- actually film it & put music to it
location shots
talent shots
storyboarding.

Try and plan for this coming weekend to photograph locations.

Work to do:

1. Use the worksheet Textual Analysis of Music Videos 1.
Make notes on 3 different genres of music video.
Hot tip from Gina, to upload a table into blogger, create it in photoshop or create in word and copy & paste into Photoshop then save as a JPG & upload!

To be done by Wednesday 16th.

2. Using the worksheet Textual Analysis of Music Videos 2.
Prepare 3 powerpoint presentations of different music videos. One of which will be filmed on Friday 25th September and put on your blog.

Homework question- upload to your blog

1. How far do music videos reflect the popular culture of the time?
Include screen shots of scopitone, 60s videos to current examples.

2. Research Andrew Goodwin, what are his theories of how to analyze music videos?

Goodwin's analysis of music videos

in’s music video analysis

Andrew Goodwin writing in ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ (Routledge 1992)

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
(e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals
(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

The History Of Music Video

View more documents from Media Studies.

Methods of analysis

Analysis of Music Video - Geri Haliwell

View more documents from Media Studies.

Outline

1. History & context of music video.
2. Purpose of music videos in industry.
3. Generic Research- written textual analysis of at least 3 music videos that you find inspiring.
4. Presentation of your top 5 which will be filmed to be put on your blog!!
5. Audience research- feedback from your focus group from your presentation, what are their expectations of a music video- we will have to recruit Year 12 to assist us in this!
6. The usual graphs & pie charts etc.
7. Planning- upload original videos from your chosen artist- what elements will you retain/challenge?
8. Storyboards- animatic.
8. Possible location photos
9. Flatplans for digipack.
10. Photosessions for digipack.
11. Film performances and outtakes for inclusion on DVD.
12. Rough cuts- uploaded to blog & used in DVD extras.
13. Editing.
14. Final cut.
15. Audience feedback.
16. Evaluation.

Throughout the whole process keep your blog as an online diary and film as much of the process as possible for inclusion on your blog & within your DVD.

Lots to do but you do have until Christmas!

Advanced Portfolio

For this coursework, you will be producing the following:

A promotional package for the release of an album. This must include:
1. A music promo video.
2. A cover for the album's release on DVD.
3. A magazine advertisement for the DVD.

The practical component of this project is worth 60 marks.

20 marks will be for planning and research, which will be done on blogs.

20 marks will be for the written evaluation. This will be completed on Powerpoint and include video and still images. The evaluation questions are:

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancilliary texts?
What have you learnt from your audience feedback?
How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?