The moderators will be around over the next couple of months looking at your blogs. Please continue to use your blogs for tasks I set but, for the new AS into A2 group, be prepared to be asked shift some music video R&P posts (I'll explain and model it, don't fret).
It is imperative that you don't add to or delete any of your research and planning /evaluation /ancillary posts.
Your posts should now be labelled and there should be a label gadget added for their ease of navigation but it is vital you don't touch anything you've already posted which is used for assessment. The time has been up a couple of weeks, I won't have marked any changes made after the date we agreed and it'll just get confusing which will mean the moderators will have to contact me potentially to work out what is what. And you don't want that because it'll create a very bad impression. Especially if I have to say it was added or altered after my final deadline. No-one has (well a couple of you have, but only very minor cosmetic changes where your images had got squeezed when you uploaded them and had covered some text or if you had already let me know your house had burnt down / cat had eaten your computer and I was aware of a delay past my ultimate deadline), but just in case anyone has a sudden flash of inspiration - too late.
DO NOT MAKE ANY MORE CHANGES TO ANYTHING YOU HAVE ALREADY POSTED WHICH IS USED FOR COURSEWORK ASSESSMENT.
'cos I'll (and maybe even you'll) look like an utter plum.
With the coursework component complete for all and the AS group having just fininshed their exam, I have reverted to draft all the related posts. All that is remaining are posts on Media in the Online Age and a few on music videos.
Aside form using everything on this blog, repeatedly, you mean? And the Audiences and Institutions pack?
Okay...
REPRESENTATION:
Choose a short extract from a recent British TV drama and write an essay analysing the rpepresentation of one of the following groups of your choic with reference to:
cinemtaography;
editing;
sound;
mise-en-scene
Remeber to refer to theorists and theoretical language as well, and don't waste time on a flowery introduction.
Pete, the Chief Examiner, says introductions don't often afford candidates many opportunities for marks so feel free to omit an introduction if you so choose. HOWEVER, I have seen some great introductions in the past where candidates have managed to establish a clear focus and provide a theoretical grounding to their answer in just a few sentences and gone on to absolutely storm it.
Some candidates also find an introduction helps them get their ideas in order. Up to you. Whatever works for you as individuals. This spec is all about YOU and finding the best ways for YOU to express yourselves. It is one of the reasons OCR are so popular and respected. It is a really good spec.
AUDIENCES AND INSTITUTIONS:
Use the past papers and try to answer the questions.
Create mind maps for all the planned answers you've got.
Go over your plans.
Use everything with the label audiences and institutions on this blog.
have a look at the Wikipedia entry for your chosen case studeis - how could you improve it? What information do YOU now that they haven't included in the Wiki entry. (WARNING: if you also go with 'what is on Wikipedia I didn;t know', be prepared to have some of it turn out to be palpably false).
Want to do an audiences and institutions practice question and have me mark it? Hand in to me by end of day Friday.
Obviously Year 12 are neck deep in work at the minute but if you're finding motivation a little low, why not hop over to here for a quick look at what you'll be doing the first lesson back after your Media exam? Hopefully it'll enthuse you.
Don't spend too long on it though, you'll want to be focussing on your blogs and revision.
The minute the AS exam is over we will begin the A2 course. Absolutely everything we do will be either:
work that counts towards 20 research and planning marks
work that counts towards 60 coursework marks
work that counts towards 20 evaluation marks (well, no, that'll wait until the first 80 are all secured)
work that counts towards 100 exam marks.
You really want to hit the ground running.
Obviously there'll still be exams going on so, in terms of homework, tasks will have nice long deadlines. I'll check your exam timetables with you when we return so I don't schedule anything for a day you're all in an exam or something stupid like that.
A few of you of have asked for additional mini tasks to incorporate into your evaluations and I have provided. I thought it might be handy if I put them all together in a blog post so everyone can see them. You don't have to do them all, you don't have to do them in the way I suggest - just here for ideas. The idea is that these will either extend your answers already OR secure your response. These can be completed however you like and can be done as additional posts to your blog so you don;t have to make changes to pieces already completed if you choose not to. These are EXTENSIONS. Obviously I'd be ecstatic if you all did all of them, but these are here for you of you feel you need them. No idea of an extension for q7.
Film Opening Evaluation Extension Tasks
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Screenshot six key moments from your finished film opening which you think help you illustrate how you have used the conventions of both your chosen genre and opening sequence conventions (3 for each). Use any photo editing software you choose to add the labels to the screen shots.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Extend your evaluation by creating a post in whatever way you choose comparing the representation of one of your characters with the representation of a similar character from a film of the same genre. How are they represented? How are your choices similar / different? How do you conform or subvert the expectations?
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Create a mock up of what the IMDB.COM page would look like for your film. Include all the information down to the bottom of the 'Details' section.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
Choose a film magazine that you think would be interested in your film and:
create the front cover, with your film the main focus;
write a 200 -500 word review of your film (imagine it is finished, not just the opening 2-3 mins);
explain how this publication would appeal to your audience.
You could think about age, gender, occupation, social demography, health, lifestyle etc.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
Take a copy of your final film and add annotations or captions (see pic blow) labelling your film with examples of how each would appeal to your target audience.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE MADE A COPY OF THIS BEFORE YOU DO THIS OTHERWISE YOU RISK HAVING PUT TEXT ALL OVER YOUR FINAL VERSION OF YOUR FILM OPENING AND NONE OF US NEED THAT STRESS. Ahem...pic below...
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product? Extend your answer to include any criticisms you have of either / both the technology itself and your use of it.
Here are some examples of what other candidates have submitted. Remember I don't just share top band work and I am not prescriptive in saying you must include THIS and must include THIS - these are there for you to use for inspiration / checking you've included everything you want. Evaluations are at their best when the teachers take big steps back and keep asking you 'what do you think?' If you see a section and it gives you some ideas - go for it!
One thing I have noticed is that people need to be making sure they are using MEDIA LANGAUGE wherever possible. Think about the headings I gave you and use as much as you can. Good for the mark scheme, good revision ready for the exam.
Thanks to these previous candidates for their work...credit given where 'ere possible...
So, you've done your presentation, but the sharing site you've used has arbitrarily decided to remove backgrounds / delete animations / obscure your text by rearranging your slides?
There is a solution.
It is a little time consuming, but a solution nonetheless.
If you follow these steps if you encounter rpoblems with Slideshare etc, this will save you a lot aof heartache and stress.
1.Open up your PowerPoint
2. Click 'file'
3. Click on 'save and send'
4. Then click on 'create a video', as illustrated by this handy image...
5. This screen will appear:
6. Change the length of the animation duration as also shown in this image, carefully rendered and photoshopped to within an inch its life as it is.
7. Then click on the 'create a video' button and follow the usual instructions for saving things.
8. You can then use the 'insert video' button on your blog (see picture) to upload a version of your PowerPoint which will hopefully not have received an random editing from other websites.
9. It can take a little while to upload, but it'll work.
In the evaluation the following seven questions must be addressed:
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? DUE THURSDAY 3RD MAY
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups? DUE MONDAY 7TH MAY
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? DUE MONDAY 7TH MAY
4. Who would be the audience for your media product? INDEPENDENT STUDY DUE TUESDAY 8TH MAY
5. How did you attract/address your audience? INDEPENDENT STUDY DUE 8TH MAY
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? LESSON THURSDAY 3RD MAY, DUE 10TH MAY VERY LATEST 7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? LESSON THURSDAY 3RD MAY, DUE 10TH MAY VERY LATEST.
Read Pete Fraser's quote - "What we DON'T want to see is essays on blogs or powerpoint slides. If it is so dull, you wouldn't read it, then take it from me, no-one else would either!"
Example blogs for your perusal. HEALTH WARNING - just because I have shared it with you, doesn;t mean it would get a band 4. And don;t be tempted to copy. There are loads of stories of candidates who have without thinking 'but they weren't in my coursework group, so how can I just copy it?'
1) feature all the expected posts;
2) feature posts which are fully labelled;
3) feature posts which are not rushed;
4) feature posts using a range of media technologies.
I CAN HEARTILY RECOMMEND LOOKING AT MARISSA'S DIGIPAK WORKTO SEE WHAT A REALLY DETAILED SERIES OF POSTS LOOKS LIKE.
Your research and planning posts are worth 20 marks.
Your evaluation posts are worth 20 marks.
Each of you has received a pack of tasks, deadlines and assessment criteria which, if completed (and remember, very few of these were new tasks) would have set you up to really impress the moderator as they've been designed with specific reference to:
a) the exam specification;
b) the chief examiner's reports; and
c) what centres highlighted as delivering best practice by OCR do.
Well done to those of you who are on top of it. Encouraging noises to those of you who are getting on with it and I can see it taking shape. Wild, flurrying of arms and loud noises to those of you who are missing lessons, arriving late, behind, or verging on negligent. This is the end of the course - take your finger off the pedal now (if aforementioned foot had ever found the elusive pedal) and you risk your marks.
The spirit and letter of the specification encourages independence and originality. Not only because it produces better work, not only because this way the board can see what YOU can do rather than reading near identical post after post from a centre which has basically made the candidates fill in the blanks, but because it will also prepare you for university study regardless of whether you plan to study Media or not.
In order to help I shall be booking computer rooms for after school for as many of the days as possible for the next two weeks. The marks have to submitted to the board by 15th May but remeber I will actually need time to assess. I've got an initial assessment done of what has been evidenced, and these marks can only improve.
And now the block capitals begin.
REMEMBER - IF IT ISN'T ON YOUR BLOG THE MODERATOR WON'T KNOW IT EXISTS.
REMEMBER - IF YOU'D PLANNED ON DOING PIECES AS A GROUP AND SOMEONE IS LETTING YOU DOWN, DO IT BY YOURSELF INSTEAD. DON'T LET SOMEONE ELSE RUIN YOUR GRADE. THAT IS THEIR LOOKOUT.
REMEMBER - IF I THINK YOU'VE JUST COPIED STUFF OFF SOMEONE ELSE'S BLOG AND HAVE NO EVIDENCE OF YOU ACTUALLY ENAGING AND CONTRIBUTING, I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU THE MARKS FOR IT.
For those of you who haven't made it a regular read, and as helpful reminder for those who have, keep looking at the Chief Examiner's blog. http://petesmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/
In the last week there have been posts which are especially useful for both AS and A2.
And A2 candidates - look at this. The Chief Examiner's guide to the exam. Useful, I'm sure you'll agree.
Below are, or will appear, a load of links to aid the development of your case studies. If your film isn't below yet, don't fret. There will be stuff for everyone. Half midnight so I'm not going to get to post things for everyone now, but I will do over the next few days. Some of these are the work of other A-Level candidates past and present so don't just lift it wholesale - use them for inspiration or gap filling.
EDIT: 01:01am, saving now for a little binary thrill as well as to make sure I don't lose all this. More to be added in a bit.
There are a lot of blogs missing a lot of work. I don't think there is a single blog that is 100% up to date. There will be a catch up booklet coming out in the next couple of weeks once the queue for copying in reprographics subsides. In the meantime I suggest:
1) click on the as or a2 label and go through the tasks that have been set and then compare to what has been evidenced on your blog;
2) keep filming and editing your coursework independently - THERE WILL BE NO MORE LESSON TIME GIVEN TO ANY FILMING EXCEPT 5 MINUTE STINTS TO RECORD MINOR RESHOOTS.
3) keep blogging every time you do something to your editing or filming of coursework. It can be written, a video of you speaking, a presentation...however you want to present it but there must be a record of your work and how it has developed
4) upload all the bits of footage and work in progress pieces to youtube.
NOTE: Typos will be edited at some point. Have fixed my desktop and am trying to get used to the keyboard again.
Embedding disabled on all decent copies I can find, so have a look, above, and then read the following tirade. I'll try and incorporate some audience theory into my scathing assault on Richard Curtis and all who sail in his very naff little boat which I hope gets sunk.
Reasons why I hate 'Love Actually' (hopefully confined to the first 2 minutes, as per the )
Okay, aside from the fact that Richard Curtis has gone from being the doyen of great British comedy to the keeper and maintainer of vacuous status quo-dom at the same rate that Ben Elton has gone from wonderfully-Thatcher-baiting-if-deeply-condescending-and-nowhere-near-as-clever-as-he-supposes luminary to purveyor of Queen musicals there are a great many reasons to hate this opening two minutes. A great many reasons to be insulted. A great may reasons as an audience to feel, at the very least, aggrieved at the shockingly mindless monkeys we are thought to be. How easily manipulated by trite sentiment does Curtis think a cinema audience is? Judging by the success of the film and all his other offerings the answer is very. And UK audiences are doing sod all to challenge this.
Just be warned, I don;t care if you like it. If you like it, fine. This is a personal rant about the cultural values it supposes and how it treats an audience. If you enjoyed the film, I'm glad (thereby neatly contradicting my previous couple of sentences - I'm trying to be liberal about taste whilst lambasting and that is a difficult skill).
We looked at Monkey Dust in class, here is a Monkey Dust version of every Richard Curtis movie ever* WARNING: a little subversive, don't press play if you might be easily offended. Remember, I'm covered by the spec as long as I'm not showing you anything inappropriate and if 'Int he Loop' is a 15 according to the BBFC, then this is easily admissible in a court of Media Studies teaching.
But back to 'Love Actually'.
How is an audience manipulated? By setting up a situation where you have to buy into the premise or risk being ostracised. It may even come close to hypodermic needle theory ( see next video) only instead of reading messages in the media and being encouraged to kill, maim, rape we are, instead, forced to go along with an idiotic premise.
EVIL.
"As far as I know, when the twin towers collapsed none of the messages were about revenge".
Okay:
1) A far as Hugh Grant knows, thereby fallible (start with your least convincing argument first - a sure fire way to alienate your audience, natch);
2) as far as Richard Curtis knows, thereby fallible;
3) if you were on the receiving end of a revenge message from someone about to die on the 11th September attacks, you probably wouldn't let loads of people know therefore making 1 and 2 even less convincing, thereby fallible;
and now we get more convincing...
4) this manipulates an audience to buy in completely to the premise of the film as, if you don't, it is heavily implied that you either don't feel compassion for the victims / agree with terrorism / aren't as lovely as the 300 other people you're sharing air space with in the cinema who have all, en masse, gone 'oh yeah, if 9/11 showed that people loved each other it must be. Therefore everything in this film is both immediately relevant and, furthermore, important**';
5) the whole notion is idiotic - taking a group of people who realise they are about to die as a representative sample and then going through their final messages to their loved ones as proof of the primacy of love is ridiculous. I'm fairly certain there would have been a high proportion of people who died from heart attacks before but it doesn't mean lots of people on planes around the world will die of heart attacks. There was probably, and this will sound crass and insensitive but it is the only way to highlight the sheer offensiveness of the love comparison, lots of people with soiled underwear. Curtis isn't going on about how it makes evacuating your bowels when hijacked and murdered a universal experience we can all relate to is he? No, because that isn't nice. But love is. Love is lovely*** and any audience member who dares now not buy into the whole shebang is, by association, evil. So he uses an atrocity to peddle his insulting little wares and make himself more money to send his kids off to private school with.
Because audiences are base, degenerate and unthinking.
Here endeth the rant.
* apply audience theory to the prevalence of white middle classness and work out who these films are really aimed at and how they're aimed at them.
** they might have thought this using less commas. I like commas, we have established this on numerous occasions.
*** the poem by poet Ann Ziety called 'Before and After Weddiflop' illustrates this perfectly but it is nowhere on the web so can't be shared unless I type it out. Which I'm not going to.
Found this fantastic presentation on Slideshare. I've kept the bloke's name below so you can go and have a look.. And here is his blog if you want to investigate for your independent reading http://westudymedia.wordpress.com/ - particularly useful for Year 13 (HINT).
A different exam board but lots of wonderful stuff on there. Get on there and have a look. Very impressive.
For how to use colour correction in the advent of Shatter Resistant's unasked for but given anyway access to the big green tick of doom and having watched the Oliver Fox group turn Radhika's hand purple then giggling maniacally:
Oh, and some more on adding text:
And some more on layering:
