TOP TIP : In most cases I've felt that groups could be more specific in discussing their own work and improve their use of technical terminology. You should fine this in your evaluations meaning it's in your best interests to go through those again to find more specific evidence to support your points. In terms of using conventions I think you'll find there are specific film examples or videos you could discuss that, as yet, many of you are not using in your essays.
1a
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
Remember:
· You must write about your thriller AND music video
· You must structure your answer to make skills progression apparent
· You must refer to specific examples from your texts
· Use keywords from the question in your answer (see next point)
· Read the question carefully as it may combine any two of these areas e.g creativity and conventions, or research and conventions
· You have only thirty minutes for this question
Further Guidance
Knowledge of your own texts / coursework projects is key to this question. Refer closely to all mindmaps/evaluations so that you can expertly discuss exactly what you did in relation to each possible question. Remember that this question is not asking you about theory but about what you did. I include some notes on ways to address this question in terms of an essay structure. These notes are intended as a loose framework, meaning that there may well be areas relevant to your own work that are not outlined here. You will be expected to support your points with close reference to your particular texts.
Note : the area of creativity is a vaguer term than others on this list. It is most likely to come up in relation to one of the other areas (e.g creative use of digital technology).
Marks
1a and 1b carry 25 marks each.
Explanation/analysis/argument (8-10 marks)
Use of examples (8-10 marks)
Use of terminology (4-5 marks)
Digital Technology and Post Production
For this question post production means whatever work was carried out once the work was imported to MACs.
(imovie to import, Final Cut Express, Livetype, Garageband, youtube)
Explain how digital technology was key in all areas of preproduction and post production.
Explain how your planning improved through developing use of digital technology from powerpoint to websites in terms of accessibility and communication, or how you developed your web skills, for instance in using polls on your website to generate more audience feedback.
Explain how you used digital technology at AS in the form of Livetype / Garageband/ imovie to import film / Final Cut Express to create a linear and suspenseful narrative and add effects.
Make clear the limitations of certain programs and your ability to use them at this level – e.g Garageband has a limited range of loops and Livetype has a limited number of preset animations.
Explain how your ability to use digital technology developed in your AS production whether through using new effects on Final Cut and using digital technology (internet sources) to research them, downloading new fonts on sites such as Dafont, and so on. Some groups have improved in their use of graphics, and editing pace.
Make clear how you were able to use Photoshop to reinforce themes from your video’s amplification of lyrics (or your interpretation) in your printwork (digipak cover and advert).
Your conclusion should state that through your improved skills in the use of digital technology you were able to create a more ambitious and satisfying project at A2.
Research and Planning
Explain that for AS you had to research generic thriller conventions and planned on powerpoint. Explain the audience research you carried out. Explain that you planned thoroughly in terms of storyboards and shotlists.
Then explain how these skills developed and improved at A2 through –
(a) Researching a wider range of texts (band’s site/CD covers/videos) in order to create more in depth representations and a particular house style
(b) Creating an improved website and how this helped in terms of accessability of work and communication
(c) How you improved the quality of audience research
(d) How planning improved through addition of lighting tests, recce reports, practising with software and finding ways to employ new effects
(e) How mise-en-scene (costume/ location/ use of props and set design and scouting locations) contributed to creating more satisfying and sophisticated representations
Conclude by stating that your A2 production demonstrated a far more effective and sophisticated example of the genre as a result of your improved planning and research skills.
Using conventions from real texts.
Explain that you made a thriller at AS and music video digipak cover and advert at A2.
Explain that you followed various conventions from real media texts in creating your thriller. You will need to have learnt these e.g use of enigma codes at the beginning of No Country For Old Men.
Relate these examples to their employment in your thriller with specific examples from your thriller.
Now explain the more complex nature of A2 involving both a broader range of texts and a need to satisfy both the generic requirements of the musical form (folk/rap etc) with representational conventions of the artist and the need to create a house style across the different media.
Explain the texts that influenced you both print (e.g CD covers) and music videos and how you were able to gain more insights from these to create more satisfying and individual texts.
Offer examples from your video and artwork of these and then conclude.
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
Remember:
· You must write about your thriller AND music video
· You must structure your answer to make skills progression apparent
· You must refer to specific examples from your texts
· Use keywords from the question in your answer (see next point)
· Read the question carefully as it may combine any two of these areas e.g creativity and conventions, or research and conventions
· You have only thirty minutes for this question
Further Guidance
Knowledge of your own texts / coursework projects is key to this question. Refer closely to all mindmaps/evaluations so that you can expertly discuss exactly what you did in relation to each possible question. Remember that this question is not asking you about theory but about what you did. I include some notes on ways to address this question in terms of an essay structure. These notes are intended as a loose framework, meaning that there may well be areas relevant to your own work that are not outlined here. You will be expected to support your points with close reference to your particular texts.
Note : the area of creativity is a vaguer term than others on this list. It is most likely to come up in relation to one of the other areas (e.g creative use of digital technology).
Marks
1a and 1b carry 25 marks each.
Explanation/analysis/argument (8-10 marks)
Use of examples (8-10 marks)
Use of terminology (4-5 marks)
Digital Technology and Post Production
For this question post production means whatever work was carried out once the work was imported to MACs.
(imovie to import, Final Cut Express, Livetype, Garageband, youtube)
Explain how digital technology was key in all areas of preproduction and post production.
Explain how your planning improved through developing use of digital technology from powerpoint to websites in terms of accessibility and communication, or how you developed your web skills, for instance in using polls on your website to generate more audience feedback.
Explain how you used digital technology at AS in the form of Livetype / Garageband/ imovie to import film / Final Cut Express to create a linear and suspenseful narrative and add effects.
Make clear the limitations of certain programs and your ability to use them at this level – e.g Garageband has a limited range of loops and Livetype has a limited number of preset animations.
Explain how your ability to use digital technology developed in your AS production whether through using new effects on Final Cut and using digital technology (internet sources) to research them, downloading new fonts on sites such as Dafont, and so on. Some groups have improved in their use of graphics, and editing pace.
Make clear how you were able to use Photoshop to reinforce themes from your video’s amplification of lyrics (or your interpretation) in your printwork (digipak cover and advert).
Your conclusion should state that through your improved skills in the use of digital technology you were able to create a more ambitious and satisfying project at A2.
Research and Planning
Explain that for AS you had to research generic thriller conventions and planned on powerpoint. Explain the audience research you carried out. Explain that you planned thoroughly in terms of storyboards and shotlists.
Then explain how these skills developed and improved at A2 through –
(a) Researching a wider range of texts (band’s site/CD covers/videos) in order to create more in depth representations and a particular house style
(b) Creating an improved website and how this helped in terms of accessability of work and communication
(c) How you improved the quality of audience research
(d) How planning improved through addition of lighting tests, recce reports, practising with software and finding ways to employ new effects
(e) How mise-en-scene (costume/ location/ use of props and set design and scouting locations) contributed to creating more satisfying and sophisticated representations
Conclude by stating that your A2 production demonstrated a far more effective and sophisticated example of the genre as a result of your improved planning and research skills.
Using conventions from real texts.
Explain that you made a thriller at AS and music video digipak cover and advert at A2.
Explain that you followed various conventions from real media texts in creating your thriller. You will need to have learnt these e.g use of enigma codes at the beginning of No Country For Old Men.
Relate these examples to their employment in your thriller with specific examples from your thriller.
Now explain the more complex nature of A2 involving both a broader range of texts and a need to satisfy both the generic requirements of the musical form (folk/rap etc) with representational conventions of the artist and the need to create a house style across the different media.
Explain the texts that influenced you both print (e.g CD covers) and music videos and how you were able to gain more insights from these to create more satisfying and individual texts.
Offer examples from your video and artwork of these and then conclude.