det draft course and unit specifications. 02/05/96 ... studies int2 3rd edition.pdf · • print:...

MEDIA STUDIESIntermediate 2

Third edition – published November 1999

Media Studies: Intermediate 2 Course 1

NOTE OF CHANGES TO ARRANGEMENTSTHIRD EDITION PUBLISHED ON CD-ROM NOVEMBER 1999

COURSE TITLE: Media Studies (Intermediate 2)

COURSE NUMBER: C058 11

National Course Specification

Course Details: Core skills statements expanded

National Unit Specification

All Units: Core skills statements expanded

Administrative Information

Publication date: November 1999

Source: Scottish Qualifications Authority

Version: 03

© Scottish Qualifications Authority 1999

This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes provided that no profit is derived fromreproduction and that, if reproduced in part, the source is acknowledged.

Additional copies of this course specification (including unit specifications) can be purchased from the Scottish QualificationsAuthority for £7.50. Note: Unit specifications can be purchased individually for £2.50 (minimum order £5).

2

National Course Specification

MEDIA STUDIES (INTERMEDIATE 2)

COURSE NUMBER C058 11

COURSE STRUCTURE

This course comprises two mandatory units.

D332 11 Media Analysis (Int 2) 2 credits (80 hours)D334 11 Media Production (Int 2) 1 credit (40 hours)

In common with all courses, this course includes 40 hours over and above the 120 hours for thecomponent units. This is for induction, extending the range of learning and teaching approaches,support, consolidation, integration of learning and preparation for external assessment. This time isan important element of the course and advice on its use is included in the course details.

RECOMMENDED ENTRY

While entry is at the discretion of the centre, candidates would normally be expected to have attainedthe course at Intermediate 1 level or equivalent.


National Course Specification (cont)

COURSE Media Studies (Intermediate 2)

CORE SKILLS

This course gives automatic certification of the following:

Complete core skills for the course Problem Solving Int 2Working With Others Int 2

Additional core skills components for the course None

For information about the automatic certification of core skills for any individual unit in this course,please refer to the general information section at the beginning of the unit.

Additional information about core skills is published in Automatic Certification of Core Skills inNational Qualifications (SQA, 1999).


National Course Specification: course details


RATIONALE

The media play a central role in the modern world and affect society at all levels: economic, political,social, cultural and individual. The aim of Media Studies is to develop critical understanding andappreciation of the media and their products and to develop practical skills in media Technology. AtIntermediate 2, this aim is achieved through a balance of analytical and production work.

Analytical skills will be developed by the systematic application of the key aspects of Media Studiesto a range of media texts. Production skills will be developed by the planning, implementation andevaluation of a group production.

In addition to subject skills, the course develops a range of generic practical, problem solving andteamworking skills which are applicable to a range of subjects, contexts and activities.

Aims

The aims of the course are:

• to develop a critical understanding of media texts• to foster enjoyment and aesthetic appreciation of media texts• to develop autonomy in analytical activities• to enable candidates to communicate knowledge and understanding of media texts• to encourage the use of production knowledge and understanding in analytical activities• to encourage the use of analytical knowledge and understanding in production activities• to develop skills in the use of technology to create meaning• to encourage a positive attitude, attention to detail, creativity and enjoyment in the use of

media Technology• to provide opportunities for co-operating with others to meet group aims• to develop a structured and evaluative approach to production work• to enable candidates to communicate about the planning, production and evaluation stages of

media production• to appreciate the freedoms and constraints under which media production operates• to provide enjoyment of the subject

COURSE CONTENT

The component units have been designed to be as flexible as possible so that both the texts studiedand the kind of production work undertaken can be selected by candidates in negotiation with theirteachers/lecturers.

The seven key aspects of Media Studies – Categories, Language, Narrative, Representation,Audience, Institutions, Technology – are integral to the work in all units.

The course is designed on the principle that theory must inform practice and practice must informtheory. It should be delivered, therefore, using a balance of practical and analytical activities.


National Course Specification: course details (cont)


Unit 1: Media Analysis

In this unit candidates will develop skills in interpreting a range of media texts and in describing theirrelationship to social, institutional and audience contexts. The content of this unit will include anintroduction to the course and discussion of the specific examples of media products which mostinfluence the lives of the candidates in the teaching group.

At Intermediate 2, the media texts selected for study should initially be relatively familiar andstraightforward in structure but more challenging texts should be introduced as candidates progress.The choice of media texts is at the discretion of the centre but it is likely that they will be selectedaccording to the interests, abilities and needs of the candidates.

It is recommended that a range of appropriate media texts should be explored. It will be necessary forcandidates to record the analysis of at least two media texts in order to cover the mandatory range.

The range of media texts comprises:

• print (eg, newspaper, comic, magazine, popular literature, advertising)• non-print (eg, radio, television, cinema, popular music, advertising)• fiction (eg, story in a comic, soap opera episode)• non-fiction (eg, documentary, news story across a range of media)

Suitable examples of texts for study might include:

• print: press/magazine/comic front covers; news stories; comic stories• radio: news bulletins/stories; drama• television: news programmes; soaps; quiz shows; animated shorts• cinema: blockbuster films; film stars; animated films• popular music: the product and marketing of the current number one male and female acts;

product in a range of musical genres; music videos• advertising: in a range of the above media

The analysis of any media text should include the following aspects:

• categories• language of the medium to which the text belongs• narrative• representation• audience• institutional context of the text, and• technological aspects of the text (technologies)

Categories

Media texts should be categorised in terms of:

• medium (eg, press, television, film, radio)• purpose (eg, to inform, to entertain, to persuade, to educate, to make profit)• form (eg, TV drama, radio light entertainment, newspapers)• genre (eg, soap opera, action movie, tabloid, broadsheet)• tone (eg, comic, serious)




At Intermediate 2, candidates would be expected to take a number of these categories and explorethem for further analysis. For example, analysis of genre may lead to investigation of the conventionsof the genre(s) identified and consideration of the degree to which the text is typical of its genre.Generic hybrids may be identified such as an action film with romance, or pop songs that useelements of classical music. Candidates should investigate these hybrids in terms of the reasons whyinstitutions create such kinds of text, the audiences which consume them, the uses to which they areput and the gratification provided. Initial categorisation of texts may lead to further work such ascandidates planning their own texts for particular audiences and in particular institutional settings.

Language

In any text, candidates should study how the language of the medium is used. This will involveanalysis of:

• denotation: the description of a sign eg jeans, fade-in• signs: words, objects, images and sounds which communicate meaning• connotation: the meanings associated with a sign eg jeans may connote informality; fade-in

may connote a beginning• codes: systems of signs which can be analysed in terms of denotation and connotation

eg cultural codes, technical codes• technical codes: sign systems in the language of a medium eg in film a fade-in is an editing

code and may connote a beginning; in print a sans serif font is a typographic code and mayconnote modernity

• cultural codes: sign systems whose meanings are shared by members of a culture eg dresscodes, gestures, linguistic codes

• motivation: the reason for the use of a specific code eg to aid understanding, to tell the story,for realism, for connotations, to conform to a style, for intertextual reference

• polysemy: the idea that signs have several meanings at one time eg by the reader decoding thesame sign using different codes

• anchorage: the narrowing down of the polysemy of signs by combining them with other signseg the use of film music to suggest a particular mood; the use of a caption to suggest aninterpretation of a press photograph

• conventions: established ways of treating genre, codes, narrative or representations

In textual analysis, candidates should question the purpose of using particular textual elements. Forexample in print, use of a serif font may have different motivations of text; used in broadsheetheadlines it carries connotations of authority. In film, a canted frame with a tilted horizon may beused because it is a point of view shot or because it carries connotations of the instability of thesituation – sometimes such a shot will have both motivations. Such analysis of motivations willbenefit candidates when they come to plan and implement their own productions.

As well as these analytical activities, candidates should engage in appropriate practical exercises tomake them aware of the choices which face media professionals in using media languages in bothprint and non-print media. In these exercises candidates should appreciate the importance of theaudience and institutional contexts in making decisions over the selection and structuring of content.They should also be encouraged to use both analytic and technical vocabulary.




Candidates should learn how to create a plan for a media product. Plans should include outlineproposals or treatments for products and more detailed plans such as single page layouts, roughs forprint advertisements, and short storyboards or scripts.

They should also make their own products. Such exercises need not require a high level oftechnological provision; for example in the study of news, candidates could produce a radio newsprogramme using ‘low-tech’ equipment such as a microphone and cassette recorder. They could alsoexperience ‘no-tech’ activities such as a manual ‘paste-up’ of the front page of a newspaper.

In practical work, candidates should also learn how to analyse a brief and how to evaluate their plansand products. Such planning, making and evaluation activities will prepare candidates for the MediaProduction unit.

Narrative

Candidates should study two main aspects of narrative: structure and conventions:

• narrative structure: for example, the normality–disruption–return to normality structure foundin feature films and in news stories; conflict, development, resolution (or non-resolution);single or multiple storylines; serial and series narratives; radio or television programmeformats

• narrative conventions: established ways of handling narrative, which are often related to thegenre; for example, in blockbuster films it is conventional to have a happy ending; in a soap,the conventions are to have interweaving storylines, gossip and cliffhangers; in news coverageof politics it is conventional to portray events as ‘battles’ with ‘winners’ and ‘losers’

Candidates should be able to describe the narrative structure and whether it conforms or does notconform to particular conventions. For example, in film the candidate should be able to describe thestructure, identify major enigmas (eg will the hero(ine) defeat the monster?; will the boy get the girl?)and relate these to the conventions of the genre(s) (eg horror, romance).

The concept of narrative can also be applied to news stories. For example, news stories often use thenormality–disruption–return to normality structure and are framed in terms of conflicts (‘us’ v‘them’) and enigmas (will ‘we’ win?).

The concept of narrative can also be applied to still images. For example, many print advertisementshave an implied past with a problem for which the product provides the solution. Similarly, newsphotographs often depict an event happening or about to happen.

In the case where there is no narrative – for example ‘surreal’ advertisements – the candidate wouldbe expected to note that there is no narrative structure and relate it an appropriate genre.

Candidates should engage in practical activities to reinforce understanding of aspects of narrative, forexample, the planning of the same news story about an industrial dispute for both a tabloid and abroadsheet newspaper. This would provide practice in using two different conventions: the tabloidconventions of personalisation and use of popular culture references in news stories; and thebroadsheet conventions of objectivity and analysis.




Representation

Candidates should study how and why the media select particular representations of people, placesand events. For example, in studying news, candidates should be aware of news values: theprofessional criteria used to select and present news stories. In fiction and non-fiction candidatesshould be able to identify and describe stereotypes (of nationhood, age, gender, race, class) as well asnon-stereotypical representations. In both fiction and non-fiction the representations should be relatedto what the producers perceive as the cultural assumptions of the target audience – for example, asports commentary which stereotypes nationality, gender or race.

Audience

Two aspects of audience should be studied: the target audience and the actual audience. Targetaudience can be inferred from textual features such as language, genre, content, style, tone, music,stars/personalities. The actual audience is varied in its individual, social and cultural backgrounds,and so reactions to the same text will differ.

At Intermediate 2, candidates should be able to infer a range of audience reactions and be able toexplain them in terms of a range of backgrounds (for example: individual character, experience, taste,textual knowledge, social class, gender, ethnicity, age, nationality, local identity).

Candidates should become aware that their own media tastes are a product of their individual andsocio-cultural backgrounds. They should be encouraged to explain and justify their own tastes in suchterms and learn from others with alternative opinions on a text. They should appreciate that thedevelopment of critical understanding, enjoyment and aesthetic appreciation of texts often requiresthem to see beyond their own backgrounds and tastes.

Institutional contexts

Candidates should study contextual factors such as:

• ownership (eg, public service, commercial, transnational corporation, independent)• controls (eg, legal, self-regulatory, market)

Candidates should gain an understanding of the operation of mainstream commercial media companies.The dual nature of this operation should be examined: media audiences buy access to media productsand advertisers buy access to the media audiences who use the products. This can be explored throughexamining advertising in newspapers and magazines as well as in television and radio. For example, theeffect can be seen in the narrative ‘hooks’ used in both television soaps and news programmes whichattempt to hold viewers to the channel in order to deliver the audience to the advertisers.

Such commercial operations by major media companies should be compared with public servicebroadcasting and with smaller independent media operations (for example: independent recordcompanies; Web page publishers; fanzine publishers). The examination of the coverage of a majornews story on a ‘green’ issue, for example, could include the comparison of the stories in a tabloidnewspaper, in a BBC news report and on a Greenpeace Web site. The differences in coverage couldbe outlined and related to differences in ownership and control. These issues can be explored throughpractical exercises.




Technology

The outcomes of the Media Analysis unit relate to six of the key aspects but there is no learningoutcome which focuses on the seventh key aspect – Technology. The reason for this is thattechnological issues should not be taught as separate from the other aspects but should be raised asappropriate. For example:

• in analysis of technical codes candidates should gain an understanding of the Technology usedto construct the text

• in discussion of media audiences the available technologies of reception should be discussed• in discussion of media institutions the technologies available to production and distribution

companies could be investigated

Candidates will of course gain further experience and knowledge of media Technology throughpractical activities in this unit as well as through production in the selected medium in the MediaProduction unit.

Unit 2: Media Production

When this unit is taken as a component of the Intermediate 2 Media Studies course, candidates willintegrate and consolidate the knowledge, understanding and skills acquired in Unit 1, Media Analysis.Candidates should be informed that in this unit their performance in group activities will be assessedie:

• contributing to analysing the brief and expressing useful ideas• contributing to agreeing task allocation• co-operating with others in production tasks• sharing ideas and information in production tasks

They should also be informed that in their evaluation they will have to look back at what they did andidentify the strengths or weaknesses of the production process and of their own performance inindividual and group tasks. Candidates must therefore use a logbook or other appropriate record todescribe the individual and group decisions and actions and the reasons for these decisions/actions.The logbook must also reflect all stages in the planning and implementation of the production.

The main focus of the unit will be on contributing to a structured group production which involvesthe design of a media product with a specific audience in mind. Candidates should be given personaland practical experience of some of the issues which face media professionals. The size of the groupis at the discretion of the teacher/lecturer and groups may work in different media.

The briefs chosen in the final assignment should be on a topic which is unfamiliar to the candidatesand so requires some research. For example, a documentary on a local history topic might requireresearch using Internet, CD-ROM, school and local libraries, newspaper archives, interviews withexperts.

The size of a group is at the discretion of the teacher/lecturer but it should allow each member to playa full part in the planning and production of the media product. Any group production should be in asingle medium. Different groups may operate in different media. The length of the production will bedependent on the brief and the size of the group.




Typical lengths might be:

• newspaper or magazine: 8 pages of A4 including photographs and graphics• dramatic piece on video or audio: around 5-7 minutes

For any group production, candidates will require knowledge and understanding of the main stages ofproduction in their chosen medium. The production process in which the candidates engage shouldreflect these stages and should be informed by professional practice. At Intermediate 2, the threestages followed in any medium should comprise: planning including discussion of brief,implementation and review and evaluation.

Planning a group production

Candidates will be given a brief which should specify:

• unfamiliar topic• medium• purpose• form• genre• target audience• length• deadline• internal and external institutional controls

At Intermediate 2, planning will be detailed and will require the following:

• group analysis of the brief leading to agreement of proposal/treatment• identification of research required (eg sources of information on topic, information on

production methods, research into conventions of genre, audience research, product research,location reconnaissance)

• identification of constraints (eg internal constraints such as budget, deadlines, availablehardware/software, editorial policy, house style; external constraints such as target audience,legal and regulatory controls)

• plan of format, content, style of a complete product• identification of resource requirements (eg hardware/software requirements and availability)• stages in the production (identification of pre-production, production and post-production and

their component tasks)• agreement of production schedule with deadlines for planning and implementation• allocation of tasks taking account of candidate preferences

Implementing a group production

For any group production, candidates will require knowledge and understanding of the main steps ofproduction in their chosen medium. The production process in which the candidates engage shouldreflect these steps, although the candidate group production is unlikely to simulate accuratelyprofessional roles and practice. For example, the individual candidates may take photographs or writestories/articles which can be assembled into a magazine, rather than members of a group takingresponsibility for roles which simulate professional practice.




Review and evaluation

Candidates should be aware of the criteria used to evaluate a production eg meeting the brief, impactof the product, technical quality, individual performance, team performance, and so on. AtIntermediate 2, the process of evaluation should be supported by checklists of such criteria andcandidates should select and comment individually on the production by referring to their ownlogbook as well as group plans and products. Candidates must be aware that the review must addressthe following:

• strengths and weaknesses of the production in relation to the brief• strengths and weaknesses of own performance in individual and co-operative planning and

implementation• suggestions for improved strategies• what has been learned about media production technologies, practices and contexts

Added benefit from taking the course

There is added benefit to be derived from taking the units as a course rather than as discrete units:

• units can be run concurrently and so can enrich one another• there will be both balance and breadth in candidates’ learning experiences• practical and production activities can reinforce theoretical knowledge and understanding and

vice versa• candidates develop abilities to sustain effort and concentration, come to conclusions, make

decisions, complete a process and evaluate their work

ASSESSMENT

To gain the award of the course, the candidate must achieve all the component units of the course aswell as the external assessment. External assessment will provide the basis for grading attainment inthe course award.

When units are taken as component parts of a course, candidates will have the opportunity todemonstrate achievement at levels beyond that required to attain each of the unit outcomes. Thisattainment may, where appropriate, be recorded and used to contribute towards course estimates, andto provide evidence for appeals. Additional details are provided, where appropriate, with theexemplar assessment materials. Further information on the key principles of assessment are providedin the paper, Assessment, published by HSDU in May 1996.

DETAILS OF THE INSTRUMENTS FOR EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT

The sole instrument of assessment will be an examination paper. The paper will be of 1 hour30 minutes duration. It will be set and marked by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The paperwill be divided into sections, with a choice of questions in Section 1 Part B and in Section 2.

All candidates are required to answer Section 1 Part A, a close reading exercise, where no suchchoice will be provided.




Section 1 Part A: Media Analysis: Candidates will be given an unseen media text. Candidates will berequired to demonstrate the analytical skills underpinned in Categories (Outcome 1) and Language(Outcome 2). This part of the paper will have a weighting of 20% of the total marks.

Section 1 Part B: Media Analysis: Candidates will answer one question from a choice which covers arange of media including print, radio, television, cinema, popular music and advertising. Candidateswill be required to demonstrate the analytical skills underpinned in Outcomes 3-6 (Narrative,Representation, Audience, Institutions) as well as integration of the key aspects of Media Studies.They will be expected to make reference to media text(s) with which they are familiar. This part ofthe paper will have a weighting of 40% of the total marks.

Section 2: Media Production. Candidates will answer one question from a choice which covers arange of media including print, audio, video, animation, multimedia and advertising. Questions willtest knowledge and understanding of production methods drawn from their own experiences of theproduction unit. This part of the paper will have a weighting of 40% of the total marks.

GRADE DESCRIPTIONS

The descriptions below are of expected performances at Grade C and at Grade A. They are intendedto assist candidates, teachers, lecturers and users of the certificate and to help establish standardswhen question papers are being set. The grade of the award will be based on the total score obtainedin the examination.

At Grade C

• analyses media texts showing competence in applying analytical concepts, in describing linksbetween texts and their institutional and audience contexts and in applying some technicalknowledge and understanding

• demonstrates competence in applying technical and production knowledge, understanding andskills, and in using analytical skills in the planning, production and evaluation of a media product

At Grade A

• analyses media texts showing a high level of competence in applying a range of analyticalconcepts, in describing a variety of links between texts and their institutional and audiencecontexts and in applying technical knowledge and understanding

• demonstrates a high level of competence in applying technical and production knowledge,understanding and skills and in using analytical skills in the planning, production andevaluation of a media product

Relationship between external and internal assessment

The criteria for a C pass in the course closely reflect the level of competence required for success inits component units. However, the course assessment makes specific additional demands oncandidates by requiring them to demonstrate the ability to integrate the competencies acquired in thecomponent units within challenging contexts:

• examination paper relates to all the outcomes of Unit 1, Media Analysis and all the Outcomesof Unit 2, Media Production




APPROACHES TO LEARNING AND TEACHING

General advice

Although the units may be taught sequentially or concurrently, an integrated approach isrecommended. The component units of this group are closely related and there are opportunities tolink the outcomes and build skills across the units. For example, analysis of a television fiction textcan lead to related practical work in individual television exercises such as exploring basic camerashots. These may in turn lead to the group production of a video programme. Alternatively, thisprocess can be reversed and the insights gained from practical work can be used to inform theanalysis of a television text.

Methodology

In the main, candidates should be learning through a problem solving approach supported bydiscussion and either analytical activity or practical activity. Expository teaching should be limitedbut may be necessary to introduce analytical concepts and to demonstrate specific practical skills.

Both individual and group work should be used. Groupings should be varied, for example discussiongroups may vary from small group to whole class. Candidates should have the opportunity forsustained discussion with others to comment on and to evaluate work in progress and, whereappropriate, the product.

It will be important to allow candidates to take increasing responsibility for their own learning. Atthis level there should be opportunities for candidates to feel some ownership of the course by beinginvited to suggest or provide examples of media texts which they would be interested in analysing,and by giving their preferences for the types and subject of media products which they would beinterested in making. However, candidates should be challenged to go beyond media texts which arefamiliar and to engage in a group media production topic which is relatively unfamiliar.

Preparation for Assessment

Formative assessment should operate as an integral part of the learning and teaching in all units. Itwill include assessment of the candidate’s work by the candidate, by the teacher/lecturer and, whereappropriate, by other members of a candidate group. This can be achieved in the main throughdiscussion, individual tutorials and observation of the candidate’s work supported by checklists.

For each unit, candidates should keep in a folio materials which have been generated by analytical orproduction activities. These materials may be produced in the manner most suited to the individualcommunication needs of candidates. They may be hand-written, word processed, scribed, written inBraille or taped.

Time should be allocated for giving extra support to candidates who are very challenged by one ormore of the performance criteria. All candidates should have the opportunity for improving on anyarea of weakness through strategies such as extra practice in individual skills and revising orredrafting of work.




The additional 40 hours available for this course may be used for:

• preparation of folio materials which are to be externally assessed• consolidation of learning• developing practical skills• visits to media organisations, cinemas, etc• visits from media professionals• extending the range of media studied

Unit specific advice

Further details of suggested approaches are given in the individual unit support notes and SubjectGuide.

Where appropriate, arrangements should be made to ensure that there will be no artificial barriers tolearning and assessment. The nature of a candidate’s special needs should be taken into account whenplanning learning experiences and selecting assessment instruments. Alternative arrangements can bemade as necessary.

SPECIAL NEEDS

This course specification is intended to ensure that there are no artificial barriers to learning orassessment. Special needs of individual candidates should be taken into account when planninglearning experiences, selecting assessment instruments or considering alternative outcomes for units.For information on these, please refer to the SQA document Guidance on Special Assessment andCertification Arrangements for Candidates with Special Needs/Candidates whose First Language isnot English (SQA, 1998).

SUBJECT GUIDES

A Subject Guide to accompany the Arrangements documents has been produced by the Higher StillDevelopment Unit (HSDU) in partnership with the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum(SCCC) and Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU). The Guide provides further advice andinformation about:

• support materials for each course• learning and teaching approaches in addition to the information provided in the Arrangements

document• assessment• ensuring appropriate access for candidates with special educational needs

The Subject Guide is intended to support the information contained in the Arrangements document.The SQA Arrangements documents contain the standards against which candidates are assessed.


Superclass: KA



Version: 03



Additional copies of this unit specification can be purchased from the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The cost for eachunit specification is £2.50 (minimum order £5).

15

National Unit Specification: general information

UNIT Media Analysis (Intermediate 2)

NUMBER D332 11


SUMMARY

This unit is designed to develop basic skills in interpreting the meaning of a range of media texts andtheir relationships to social, institutional and audience contexts. The media studied could includeprint, radio, television, cinema, popular music, advertising and multimedia.

OUTCOMES

1 Explain media texts in terms of categories2 Explain media texts in terms of language3 Explain media texts in terms of narrative4 Explain media texts in terms of representation5 Explain media texts in terms of audience6 Explain media texts in terms of institutional contexts

RECOMMENDED ENTRY

While entry is at the discretion of the centre, candidates will normally be expected to have attainedthe course or a unit at Intermediate 1 level or equivalent.

CREDIT VALUE

2 credits at Intermediate 2.

Media Studies: Unit Specification – Media Analysis (Int 2) 16

National Unit Specification: general information (cont)


CORE SKILLS

This unit gives automatic certification of the following:

Complete core skills for the unit None

Core skills components for the unit Critical Thinking Int 2



National Unit Specification: statement of standards


Acceptable performance in this unit will be the satisfactory achievement of the standards set out inthis part of the unit specification. All sections of the statement of standards are mandatory and cannotbe altered without reference to the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

NOTE ON RANGE FOR THIS UNIT

Media texts: at least two texts which cover print, non-print, fiction, non-fiction.External controls: at least one external control for each textEffects of institutional contexts: at least two effects for each text

OUTCOME 1

Explain media texts in terms of categories.

Performance criteria

(a) Description of medium, purpose, form, genre and tone is accurate and justified by reference tothe text.

(b) Categorisation is related appropriately to institutional and audience contexts.

OUTCOME 2

Explain media texts in terms of language.


(a) Explanation of technical codes is accurate in terms of denotation and connotation.(b) Explanation of cultural codes is accurate in terms of denotation and connotation.(c) Explanation is accurate in terms of the ways in which meaning is anchored.

OUTCOME 3

Explain media texts in terms of narrative.


(a) Explanation is accurate in terms of narrative structure.(b) Explanation is accurate in terms of narrative conventions.


National Unit Specification: statement of standards (cont)


OUTCOME 4

Explain media texts in terms of representation.


(a) Explanation is valid in terms of selection and portrayal.(b) Representations are related appropriately to the perceived cultural assumptions of the target

audience.

OUTCOME 5

Explain media texts in terms of audience.


(a) Definition and description of target audience is justified by reference to the text.(b) Different audience reactions are inferred and explained.

OUTCOME 6

Explain media texts in terms of institutional contexts.


(a) Description of ownership and external controls is accurate.(b) Effects of ownership and controls are identified and explained.

EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE UNIT

Evidence may be in handwritten, word processed, scribed and/or oral form. Oral evidence should beon audio or video tape.

Evidence for this unit will be in the form of analyses of at least two media texts which togetherprovide exemplification for all classes in the range. Each analysis will be assembled using pro-formaswhich attain the performance criteria of all outcomes. Each pro-forma will be approximately 200words. Where appropriate, pro-formas may be completed using annotations, comments, restrictedand/or extended responses relating to the text.

The specified range of media texts requires candidates to analyse both print and non-print texts andboth fiction and non-fiction texts.


National Unit Specification: support notes


This part of the unit specification is offered as guidance. The support notes are not mandatory.

While the time allocated to this unit is at the discretion of the centre, the notional design length is 80 hours.

GUIDANCE ON CONTENT AND CONTEXT FOR THIS UNIT

The focus of this unit is on the development of media analysis skills in order to interpret a range ofmedia texts and to describe their relationship to social, institutional and audience contexts.

For further advice on the content to be covered for this unit please refer to the Content section of thecourse specification. Detailed exemplars on content for each of the media follow in Tables 1-6 (Print,Radio, Television, Cinema, Popular Music, Advertising).

GUIDANCE ON LEARNING AND TEACHING APPROACHES FOR THIS UNIT

The methods of learning and teaching should be candidate-centred and inductive. Where possible, theteacher/lecturer should negotiate the texts studied and tasks undertaken. A purely theoreticalapproach should not be used – rather, the analytical skills and the related terminology should besituated and developed within the social contexts of tutor-candidate and candidate-candidateinteraction. The teacher/lecturer and candidates should collaborate in a series of individual andcollective activities of gradually increasing complexity. Any technical or analytical terms involvedshould not be taught as separate from the activity itself but should be introduced as an integral part ofthat activity.

An abstract theoretical approach should not be used: understanding of analytical methods shouldderive from direct experience of both exploring the meaning of texts and related practical activities.Similarly, candidates will improve their understanding of the effects of institutions and the processesof production in two ways: by working back through various production stages from the end productand by practical experience of planning and making media products. An integrated approach shouldbe taken to the study of texts so that outcomes within the unit are clearly linked.

At the start of each activity the candidates should first be introduced to the main stages involved inthe exercise. The teacher/lecturer will assist candidates to develop their knowledge and skills byoffering hints, reminders, feedback and ‘tricks of the trade’, and by continuing to support candidatesin terms of promoting understanding of the production process and encouraging effective teamwork.Each exercise should finish with the candidates and teacher/lecturer reflecting on what has beenlearned from the activity. As the candidates develop their skills, the teacher/lecturer should allowcandidates to exercise initiative and control over analytical and production tasks.


National Unit Specification: support notes (cont)


GUIDANCE ON APPROACHES TO ASSESSMENT FOR THIS UNIT

The recommended instrument of assessment is an analysis (a set of pro-formas) which should containmaterials which satisfy the evidence requirements specific for this unit.

There are opportunities to integrate assessment in this unit. It would be sufficient to provide two setsof pro-formas, each of which covers all the outcomes. One media text may be print and non-fictionand the other may be non-print and fiction or one text may be non-print and non-fiction and the otherbe fiction and print. For example:

Outcomes 1–6 An analysis (pro-formas) of a newspaper (the front page should be analysed indetail).

Outcomes 1–6 An analysis (pro-formas) of a feature film (a short sequence should be analysedin detail).

The analyses must satisfy the performance criteria for each outcome. The candidates would beexpected to write notes within the pro-formas which address each of the performance criteria for eachoutcome.

Where teachers/lecturers intend to use pro-formas and teacher/lecturer/candidate checklists, then suchmaterials should be familiar to candidates. They can then be used to monitor candidates’ progress aswell as to provide feedback. Candidates should then fully understand what is expected of them in unitassessments as well as having a bank of materials to which they can refer.

SPECIAL NEEDS

This unit specification is intended to ensure that there are no artificial barriers to learning orassessment. Special needs of individual candidates should be taken into account when planninglearning experiences, selecting assessment instruments or considering alternative outcomes for units.For information on these, please refer to the SQA document Guidance on Special Assessment andCertification Arrangements for Candidates with Special Needs/Candidates whose First Language isnot English (SQA, 1998).


National Unit Specification: Table 1 – Exemplar content for Print


KEY ASPECT PRINT

Categories(Outcome 1)

• purpose: information, entertainment, persuasion, education, profit.• form: newspaper, magazine, comic, popular literature, fanzine, CD-ROM,

Web pages• genre: tabloid, broadsheet, freesheet newspapers; teen/women’s/men’s/

special interest magazines• tone: serious, humorous, objective, personal, scientific

Language(Outcome 2)

Conventions of print genres (eg, layout, language, text, graphics) and features such as:• page size (tabloid, broadsheet)• text elements: masthead, headline, subheads, copy, caption• character formatting: font (serif, sans serif, script, decorative), size, style (plain,

italic, bold, underline), colour• graphic elements: photographs, mug shots, logos, colourMotivation, denotation and connotation of technical and cultural codes; polysemy andanchorage.

Narrative(Outcome 3)

Story: who, where, what, when, why.Narration:• viewpoint: first person, third person; single/multiple viewpoints• structure: normality, disruption, enigma, return to normality• plot: chronological, non-chronologicalStory treatment: eg, tabloid (news for ‘ordinary’ people, personalisation, news asentertainment) v broadsheet (news for ‘middle classes’, news as information andanalysis).

Representation(Outcome 4)

Stereotypes of age, gender, race, social class, nationhood, trade unions, pressure groupsetc.Non-stereotypical representations.Mediation: news values and their effects on selection, representation and stereotypes innews.Fictional representation of social issues and social groups.

Audience(Outcome 5)

Identification of target audiences for products through genre, content and tone.Different reactions to print texts (eg, interest, boredom, shock, surprise, anger).Pleasures of print media (curiosity, escapism, identification with/attraction to stars/personalities/characters, fandom, social gossip, individual reading, ‘surfing the Net’).Identification of reasons for different reactions (eg, individual, age, gender, class, ethnicbackground, nationality, textual knowledge, actual knowledge of an issue).

Institutions(Outcome 6)

Ownership (eg, public service, commercial, transnational corporation, independent).Controls (legal, self-regulatory, market).Roles and choices of main production personnel.Comparison of print industry with other media industries.Links with other media.General effects on product.

Technology(any outcome

as appropriate)

Technology involved in production, distribution and consumption of traditional andelectronic publishing products.New developments.


National Unit Specification: Table 2 – Exemplar content for Radio


KEY ASPECT RADIO


• purpose: information, entertainment, persuasion, education, profit• form: news, light entertainment, drama• genre: news bulletins, outside broadcasts, quiz shows, phone-ins, magazine

programmes, comedies• tone: formal, informal, serious, humorous, objective, personalised, technical

Language(Outcome 2)

Conventions of radio genres (eg, format, length, participants, speech, sound, music) andfeatures such as:• language: formal, informal• voice: accent, speed, volume• music: jingles, links, mood music• sounds: location, sound effects, silence• transitionsMotivation, denotation and connotation of technical and cultural codes; polysemy andanchorage.


Story: who, where, what, when, why.Narration:• viewpoint: first person, third person, omniscient; single/multiple viewpoints• structure: normality, disruption, enigma, return to normality• plot: chronological, non-chronologicalRadio programme formats.Story treatment: eg, local radio v national radio treatment of local story.Social issues on BBC and talk radio.


Stereotypes of age, gender, race, social class, nationality, trade unions, pressure groupsetc.Non-stereotypical representations.Mediation: news values and their effects on selection, representation and stereotypes inradio news.Fictional representation of social issues and social groups.

Audience(Outcome 5)

Identification of target audiences for products through genre, content and tone.Different reactions to radio (eg, interest, boredom, shock, surprise, anger).Pleasures of media texts (curiosity, escapism, identification with/attraction to stars/personalities/characters, fandom, social gossip, individual listening).Identification of reasons for different reactions (eg, individual, age, gender, class, ethnicbackground, nationality, textual knowledge, actual knowledge of an issue).


Ownership (eg, public service, commercial, independent local radio).Controls (legal, self-regulatory, market).General effects on product.Roles and choices of main production personnel.Comparison of radio industry with other media industries.Links with other media.


as appropriate)

Technology involved in production, distribution and consumption of radio programmes.General effects on product.New developments.


National Unit Specification: Table 3 – Exemplar content for Television


KEY ASPECT TELEVISION


• purpose: information, entertainment, persuasion, education, profit• form: news and current affairs, drama, light entertainment, outside broadcast• genre: news programme, documentary, soap, sitcom, game show, talk show, sports

programme• tone: formal, informal, serious, humorous, objective, personal, scientific

Language(Outcome 2)

Examination of the conventions of television genres (eg, format, length, participants,visuals, sound) and features such as:• mise-en-scene: set, props, costume, make-up, performance• lighting: high-key, low-key• framing: shot distance (ELS, LS, MLS, MS, MCU, CU, ECU), establishing shot

(master shot), continuity editing• angle: straight, high, low, canted• editing: cut, dissolve, fade in, fade out, wipe, shot/reverse shot, shot length• camera movement: pan, tilt, track, handheld• sound: speech, music, sound effects• titles: opening titles, end titles, font, colourMotivation, denotation and connotation of technical and cultural codes; polysemy andanchorage.


Story: who, where, what, when, why.Narration:• viewpoint: first person, third person, omniscient; single/multiple viewpoints• structure: normality, disruption, enigma, return to normality; conflict,

development, resolution (or non-resolution); single or multiple storylines; serialand series narratives; television programme formats

• plot: chronological, non-chronological


Stereotypes of age, gender, race, social class, nationhood.Non-stereotypical representations.Personalities.Mediation: news values and their effects on selection, representation and stereotypes in news.Fictional representation of social issues and social groups.

Audience(Outcome 5)

Identification of target audiences for products through genre, content and style, slot,advertising.Different reactions to programmes/films (eg, interest, boredom, shock, surprise, anger).Pleasures (curiosity, escapism, identification with/attraction to stars/personalities/characters, fandom, social gossip, family viewing).Identification of reasons for different reactions (eg, individual, age, gender, class, ethnicbackground, nationality, textual knowledge).


Ownership (eg, public service, commercial).Controls (legal, self-regulatory, market).General effects on product.Roles and choices of main production personnel.Comparison of television industry with other media industries.Links with other media.


as appropriate)

Technology involved in production, distribution and consumption of television/filmproducts.New developments eg digital television.General effects on product.


National Unit Specification: Table 4 – Exemplar content for Cinema


KEY ASPECT CINEMA


• purpose: information, entertainment, persuasion, education, profit• form: feature film, animation, trailer• genre: feature film genres (eg, horror, science fiction, Disney animation)• tone: serious, comic, spectacular• other categories: star, director

Language(Outcome 2)

Examination of the conventions of cinema genres (eg, format, length, characters, visuals,sound) and features such as:• mise-en-scene: set, props, costume, make-up, performance• lighting: high-key, low-key• framing: shot distance (ELS, LS, MLS, MS, MCU, CU, ECU), establishing shot

(master shot), continuity editing• angle: straight, high, low, canted• editing: cut, dissolve, fade in, fade out, wipe, shot/reverse shot, shot length• camera movement: pan, tilt, track, handheld• sound: speech, music, sound effects• titles: opening titles, end titles, font, colourMotivation, denotation and connotation of technical and cultural codes; polysemy andanchorage.


Story: who, where, what, when, why.Narration:• viewpoint: first person, third person, omniscient; single/multiple viewpoints• structure: normality, disruption, enigma, return to normality; conflict,

development, resolution (or non-resolution); single or multiple storylines; typicalgenre narratives

• plot: chronological, non-chronological


Stereotypes of age, gender, race, social class, nationhood.Non-stereotypical representations.Stars.Fictional representation of social issues and social groups.

Audience(Outcome 5)

Identification of target audiences for products through genre, content and style, productplacement.Different reactions to films (eg, interest, boredom, shock, surprise, anger).Pleasures (curiosity, escapism, identification with/attraction to stars/characters, fandom,social gossip, home video viewing, night out at cinema).Identification of reasons for different reactions (eg, individual, age, gender, class, ethnicbackground, nationality, textual knowledge).


Ownership (eg, public service, commercial).Controls (legal, self-regulatory, market).General effects on product.Roles and choices of main production personnel.Comparison of television industry with other media industries.Links with other media (eg, co-production with television).


as appropriate)

Technology involved in production, distribution and consumption of television/filmproducts.New developments.General effects on product.


National Unit Specification: Table 5 – Exemplar content for Popular Music


KEY ASPECT POPULAR MUSIC


• purpose: entertainment, persuasion, profit• form: live, recording, music video• genre: current and past pop music genres• tone: happy, sad, celebratory, outrageous

Language(Outcome 2)

Examination of conventions of pop music genres in terms of:• lyrics• vocal style• instrumentation• rhythm• melody


Understanding lyric of song in terms of who, where, what, when, why.Narrative elements in music video.


Representations of age, gender and race in pop music.Image of pop music stars used in marketing, press coverage, etc.

Audience(Outcome 5)

Identification of target audiences for pop music by genre, pop video, advertising.Pleasures of identification with/attraction to stars, expression of emotions ideals/dreams,fandom, individual listening.Popular music and related social activities of teenage audience, eg, fashion, dance,concerts, subcultures.Identification of reasons for different reactions (eg, individual, age, gender, class, ethnicbackground, nationality, subculture, musical taste).


Ownership (eg, major, independents).Controls (legal, self-regulatory, market).General effects on product.Roles and choices of main personnel.Links with other media (eg, charts, radio play-lists, music press, concert tours, video).Comparison of music industry with other media industries.


as appropriate)

Technology involved in production, distribution and consumption of popular music.General effects on product.New developments.


National Unit Specification: Table 6 – Exemplar content for Advertising


KEY ASPECT ADVERTISING


• medium: eg, Television, Radio, Cinema, Press, Outdoor, Internet• purpose: persuasion, profit, information, education• form: public service, product company, classified, display, above-the-line, below-

the-line etc• genre: eg, ‘soap’, animation• other categories: public service, product, company, classified, display, etc

Language(Outcome 2)

Examination of the conventions of advertising, depending on medium.See relevant content table for particular medium in question.Movitation, denotation and connotation of technical and cultural codes; polysemy andanchorage.Slogans, straplines, copy, image, pack shot.Display, classified, earpiece, etc.


Understanding narrative in terms of who, where, what, when why.Typical narratives of radio, cinema, television commercials.


Stereotypes of gender, race, nationhood etc.Non-stereotypical representations.

Audience(Outcome 5)

Identification of target audiences by analysis of product, content, style, etc.Ratings, circulation figures.Audience research (eg, BARB (Broadcasters Audience Research Board), AGB (Audits ofGreat Britain), RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research)).Demographics.Social classification systems.ACORN classification.Different reaction to ads – complaints on grounds of taste, decency, etc.Identification of reasons for different reactions (eg, individual, age, gender, class, ethnicbackground, nationality, textual knowledge).


Commercial operation of advertising industry – identification of costs and sources offinance.Rate cards.Above-the-line, below-the-line.Commission.Relationship between agency and advertiser.Structure of advertising agency.Legal controls (eg, Trade Descriptions, Sex Discrimination).Codes of Practice – ASA (Advertising Standards Authority), ITC (Independent TelevisionCommission), Radio Authority, etc.General effects on product.


as appropriate)

Technology involved in production, distribution and consumption of different media.General effects on product.New developments.


Superclass: KA



Version: 03



Additional copies of this unit specification can be purchased from the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The cost for eachunit specification is £2.50 (minimum order £5).

27

National Unit Specification: general information

UNIT Media Production (Intermediate 2)

NUMBER D334 11


SUMMARY

This unit is designed to develop skills of contributing to the planning, producing and evaluating of agroup media production in a single medium from a brief. The centre can select the medium: forexample print, audio, video, film, animation, multimedia.

OUTCOMES

1 Contribute to planning a group production from a brief.2 Contribute to implementing a group production from a brief.3 Review and evaluate a group production.

RECOMMENDED ENTRY

While entry is at the discretion of the centre, candidates would normally be expected to have attainedthe course or component units in Media Studies at Intermediate 1 (or possess equivalent experience).

CREDIT VALUE

1 credit at Intermediate 2.

Media Studies: Unit Specification – Media Production (Int 2) 28

National Unit Specification: general information (cont)


CORE SKILLS

This unit gives automatic certification of the following:

Complete core skills for the unit Working With Others Int 2

Additional core skills components for the unit Planning and Organising Int 2Reviewing and Evaluating Int 2



National Unit Specification: statement of standards


Acceptable performance in this unit will be the satisfactory achievement of the standards set out inthis part of the unit specification. All sections of the statement of standards are mandatory and cannotbe altered without reference to the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

NOTE ON RANGE FOR THIS UNIT

Specified aspects of the brief: unfamiliar topic; medium; purpose; target audience; form; genre;length, deadline; internal and external institutional controls.Research and planning: identification of sources; topic research; audience and product research;identification of constraints; plan of format, content, style; resource requirements; production stagesand schedule; task allocation.

OUTCOME 1

Contribute to planning a group production from a brief.


(a) Contribution is effective in terms of analysing the brief, expressing useful ideas and allocatingtasks.

(b) Research and planning are effective in terms of the brief and the allocated tasks.(c) Use of technical terms is appropriate to the medium and task.

OUTCOME 2

Contribute to implementing a group production from a brief.


(a) Contribution is effective in terms of co-operation and sharing ideas and information.(b) Production skills are effective in terms of the brief and allocated tasks.


National Unit Specification: statement of standards (cont)


OUTCOME 3

Review and evaluate a group production.


(a) Strengths and weaknesses of the production are described in relation to the brief.(b) Strengths and weaknesses of the candidate’s own performance are described in relation to

individual and co-operative planning and implementation.(c) Suggestions for improved strategies are appropriate.(d) The review is clear in terms of describing what has been learned about media production

technologies, practices and contexts.

EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE UNIT

Evidence may be in handwritten, word processed, scribed, diagrammatic and/or oral form. Oralevidence should be on audio or video tape.

Evidence should demonstrate the individual contribution to planning, implementing and evaluating agroup production. The brief should be on an unfamiliar topic so that there is some demand in terms ofresearch.

The assessment evidence must include:

• a copy of the brief• Outcome 1, PC (a), Outcome 2, PC (a) and PC (b): performance evidence recorded by means

of an observation checklist completed by the teacher/lecturer• Outcome 1, PC (a), PC (b) and PC (c), Outcome 2, PC (a) and PC (b): individual logbook or

other appropriate record which records decisions/actions in individual and group planning andimplementation. The candidate should use appropriate technical terms and should recordreasons for the various decisions and actions

• Outcome 2: the group production• Outcome 3, PC (a), PC (b), PC (c) and PC (d): the candidate should describe the strengths and

weaknesses of the production in relation to the brief, and the strengths and weaknesses of theirown effectiveness in individual and co-operative planning and implementation. They shouldsuggest improved individual and/or co-operative strategies and describe what has been learnedabout media production technologies, practices and contexts

Groups’ plans and product should be retained as evidence in a group folio but will only be called forat the discretion of the SQA. All other evidence should be retained in individual folios. Plans mayinclude graphics and diagrams.


National Unit Specification: support notes


This part of the unit specification is offered as guidance. The support notes are not mandatory.

While the time allocated to this unit is at the discretion of the centre, the notional design length is 40 hours.

GUIDANCE ON CONTENT AND CONTEXT FOR THIS UNIT

The main focus of the unit is on the contribution to a structured group production which involves thedesign of a media product with a specific audience in mind and on a topic which is relativelyunfamiliar. Candidates should be given personal and practical experience of some of the issues whichface media professionals. Candidates will plan, implement, review and evaluate a group mediaproduction. The effectiveness of the candidate’s contribution is more important than the polish of thefinished product.

For further details about the content to be covered in this unit, please refer to the Content section inthe course specification. Detailed suggestions on content follow in Tables 7-10 (Print, Audio, Video,Computer Animation). It is possible to implement the unit in other media, eg, other types ofanimation, construction of simple multimedia products. Tables 7-10 should help teachers/lecturersestablish the level of technical knowledge which is required for other media. Candidates are notexpected to know all the terminology; however, they should be able to use the correct terminologywithin the context of their particular tasks.

GUIDANCE ON LEARNING AND TEACHING APPROACHES FOR THIS UNIT

Candidates should be introduced to the main stages involved in production in the chosen medium.Staff and candidates should then collaborate in a series of collective production activities of graduallyincreasing complexity. This may comprise group discussion and decision making or a set ofindividual candidate tasks and responsibilities which together contribute to the collective activity (eg,filming a video programme is a collective activity within which there is a range of individual taskssuch as camera work, presenting, floor manager). The technical terms involved should not be taughtas separate from production activities but should be used as an integral part of these activities.

The teacher/lecturer should assist candidates to develop their planning, production and evaluationskills by offering hints, reminders, feedback and ‘tricks of the trade’ and by continuing to supportcandidates in terms of promoting understanding of the production process and encouraging effectiveteamwork. As the candidates gain experience the teacher/lecturer should give more responsibility forthe production process to the candidates. At Intermediate 2 level, the role of the teacher/lecturer islikely to be consultative and interventionist. In other words, candidates will be expected to consultthe teacher for advice or technical help and the teacher/lecturer will monitor progress and interveneas necessary to ensure completion of the productions.




Planning will be detailed and should include:

• group analysis of the brief leading to agreement of proposal/treatment• identification of research required (eg sources of information on topic, information on production

methods, research into conventions of genre, location recce, audience research, product research)• identification of constraints (eg internal constraints such as budget, deadlines, available

hardware/software, editorial policy, house style; external constraints such as target audience, legaland regulatory controls)

• plan of format, content, style of a complete product• identification of resource requirements (eg hardware/software requirements and availability)• stages in the production (identification of pre-production, production and post-production and

their component tasks)• agreement of production schedule with deadlines for planning and implementation• allocation of tasks taking account of candidate preferences

A detailed budget need not be kept. However candidates should be aware that there are financialconstraints in all media production and the teacher/lecturer should intervene when candidates plansare unrealistic.

Candidates should plan and create a group product. Candidates should record their activities and thereasons for decisions taken using pro-formas, an individual logbook and checklists. The candidates’responses in individual and group assessment tasks should be recorded using a teacher/lecturerchecklist. Finished plans or products might be annotated to explain choices and conventions of thetext. Each candidate should complete an evaluation criteria checklist and use this as a basis fordescribing how far the completed production met the criteria, how it was affected by contextualfactors and how the product and/or production methods could be improved. Written or taped evidenceof the candidate’s reflection on the processes involved in the planning and making of products shouldbe gathered.

GUIDANCE ON APPROACHES TO ASSESSMENT FOR THIS UNIT

The recommended instrument of assessment is a project which will generate all the necessary evidence.The project should involve the candidate in contributing to the planning, implementation and evaluationof a group production on a topic which is relatively unfamiliar and requires some research.

An example of a brief is:

‘Greenpeace’

You have to plan and produce an 8-page campaigning magazine for Greenpeace aboutthe effects of fossil fuels on the environment and the multinational companies involvedin the extraction of these fuels. The target audience is adults of both genders and allages. The magazine should be informative and provocative, but care should be takenover allegations about specific companies in case of legal action. Care should be taken tominimise budget requirements and the deadline of 1 March 1999. Plans and productionschedule should be prepared by the group and submitted for approval to yourteacher/lecturer before production commences.




During the unit assessment production the teacher/lecturer may have a number of roles:

• as an observer and assessor of the candidates’ co-operative and production skills• as a troubleshooter when technical problems occur• as a ‘production manager’ checking aspects of the productions such as resource requirements

and deadlines and intervening and redirecting the group where necessary

For the unit assessment candidates should use pro-formas, individual logbooks and checklists torecord their progress. Logbook entries should record decisions/actions for each stage of theproduction along with reasons for these decisions/actions. The candidates’ responses in individualand group tasks should be recorded using a tutor checklist. Finished plans or products might beannotated to explain choices. Once the product is finished, each candidate should complete a reviewand evaluation supported by a checklist of evaluation criteria.

Pro-formas and checklists should be familiar to candidates and should have been used in lead-upexercises. They can be used to monitor candidates’ progress as well as to provide feedback.Candidates should then fully understand what is expected of them in the production as well as havinga bank of materials to which they can refer.

All evidence for the individual folio may be produced in handwritten, word processed or oral form.Plans may include graphics and diagrams. Any group materials produced, including the product,should be retained in a group folio as supporting evidence.

SPECIAL NEEDS



National Unit Specification: Table 7 – Exemplar content for Print


PRINT

Stages Planning and research, layout design, production of copy and images, selection of copyand images, editing and sub-editing, production, distribution, debriefing, evaluation.

Planning andResearch

• category: purpose, medium, form, genre, target audience, content, tone• narrative: story and narration (structure, viewpoint)• representations of social groups/issues; news values, balance• competition, readership, advertiser research• identification of resources and constraints:

i) institutional: editorial policy, house style, purpose, layout, number of pages,deadline, budget, health and safety.

ii) technical: hardware, software, file backup.iii) external: legal and voluntary controls, audience interest.

• identification of roles and remits: non-technological (production editor, advertisingmanager, reporter, researcher, writer, proof-reader), technological (copy editor,photographer, sub-editor, picture editor, layout editor). Roles may be bothtechnological and non-technological, eg, a reporter might enter her/his copy and e-mail it

• identification of sources (where relevant): reporter, press agencies, press release,other media, reference materials (cuttings, encyclopaedias, archives, Internet)

• remits and production schedule

TechnicalTerms

• hardware: microcomputer system, printer, digital camera, SLR camera, scanner,photocopier

• software: DTP, word processing, drawing, painting, image manipulation, typemanipulation, scanning, spreadsheet

• page formatting: size, orientation, margins, columns, gutter, grid, dummy• text elements: masthead, headline, subhead, copy, caption, header, footer, byline,

photo credit, index, jump line• character formatting: font (serif, sans serif, script, decorative), size, style (plain,

italic, bold, underline), colour, tracking• paragraph formatting: indentation, leading, alignment, line length• graphic elements: photograph, mug shot, logo, diagram, box, rule, colour,

cropping, white space

Use ofTechnical

Codes

Rules of thumb for technical codes and text and graphic content; their connotations;anchorage.Genre conventions and style.News language.

EvaluationCriteria

Brief, legibility, spelling and grammar, unity, variety, visual impact, originality, audienceinterest, use of words and pictures, news values, balance, narrative, representations.


National Unit Specification: Table 8 – Exemplar content for Audio


AUDIO

Stages Planning and research, scripting, rehearsing, recording, editing, broadcasting, debriefing,evaluation.


• category: purpose, medium, form, genre, target audience, subject matter, tone• narrative: story and narration (structure, plot, viewpoint)• representations of social groups/issues; news values, balance• competition, listener, advertiser research• identification of resources and constraints:

i) internal: editorial policy, house style, purpose, length, deadline, budget,health and safety.

ii) technical: studio, location, live, pre-recorded, tape editing, sound effects.iii) external: legal and voluntary controls, audience interest.

• identification of roles and remits: non-technological (programme editor, reporter,scriptwriter, interviewer, interviewee, performer, presenter); technological(location recorder, sound engineer, editor). Roles may be both technological andnon-technological, eg, location interviewing

• identification of sources (where relevant): reporter, interview, vox pop, newssources, other media, reference materials (encyclopaedias, archives, Internet),recordings of sound effects, music and interviews


TechnicalTerms

• hardware: cassette recorder, reel-to-reel recorder, microphones (omni-directional,uni-directional, bi-directional), splice editor, microcomputer system, printer

• software: word processor, spreadsheet• voice: accent, speed, volume, delivery, tone• music: station/programme jingles, links, mood music• sounds: sound effects, silence, ambient noise• script: voice piece, interview, dialogue, sound effects, transitions (links, intros,

outros)• recording: location, live, pre-recorded• edits: paper edits, dub edits, splice edits

Use ofTechnical

Codes

Rules of thumb for technical codes, words and sounds; their connotations; anchorage..Genre conventions and style.Radio language.

EvaluationCriteria

Brief, recording quality, editing, unity, variety, originality, audience interest, use ofwords, voice, music, sound effects and transitions, news values, balance, dramatic effect,narrative, representations.


National Unit Specification: Table 9 – Exemplar content for Video


VIDEO

Stages Planning and research, treatment, script, storyboard, rehearsing, shooting, editing, sounddubbing, screening, debriefing, evaluation.


• category: purpose, medium, form, genre, target audience, subject matter, tone• narrative: story and narration (structure, plot, viewpoint)• representations of social groups/issues; news values, balance• identification of resources and constraints:

i) internal: editorial policy, house style, purpose, deadline, length, budget,health and safety.

ii) technical: hardware and software.iii) external: legal and voluntary controls, representation issues.

• identification of roles: non-technological (producer, production assistant,scriptwriter, storyboard artist, make-up, continuity, props); technological (director,camera operator, sound recordist, editor)

• identification of sources (where relevant): reporter, press agency, press release,other media, reference materials (encyclopaedias, archives, Internet), archiverecordings


TechnicalTerms

• hardware: video cameras, tripod, lighting, omni-directional and uni-directionalmicrophones, video editing suite, microcomputer system, printer

• software: word processor, spreadsheet• mise-en-scene: set, props, costume, make-up, performance• lighting: high-key, low-key, three-point lighting• framing: shot distance (ELS, LS, MLS, MS, MCU, CU, ECU), establishing shot.• focus: shallow, deep, pull focus• angle: straight, high, low, canted• editing: cut, dissolve, fade in, fade out, wipe, standard wipes, shot/reverse shot,

shot length, continuity editing• camera movement: pan, tilt, track, crane, handheld• sound: diegetic and non-diegetic, speech, voice-over, music, sound effects• titles: opening titles, end titles, font (serif, sans serif, script, decorative), size, style,

colour

Use ofTechnical

Codes

Rules of thumb for technical codes, text, images, sounds and music; their connotations;polysemy and anchorage.Genre conventions and style.

EvaluationCriteria

Brief, titling, mise-en-scene, quality of camerawork, sound, editing, unity, variety,originality, audience interest, news values, balance, dramatic effect, narrative,representations.


National Unit Specification: Table 10 – Exemplar content for Computer


COMPUTER ANIMATION

Stages Planning (eg, action first or sound first), research, treatment, script, storyboard, creationof characters, backgrounds and foregrounds, titles, sound dubbing, screening, debriefing,evaluation.


• category: purpose, medium, form, genre, target audience, subject matter, tone• narrative: story and narration (structure, plot, viewpoint)• representations: stereotypes• identification of resources and constraints:

i) internal: purpose, deadline, length, budget, health and safety.ii) technical: hardware and software, file backup.iii) external: legal and voluntary controls, audience interest, representation

issues.

• identification of roles: non-technological (producer, director, scriptwriter,storyboard artist); technological (animator, artist, sound recordist). Certain rolesmay combine technological and non-technological roles, eg, the storywriter mightalso record the soundtrack

• identification of sources, eg, clip art, study of real-life movement• remits and production schedule

TechnicalTerms

• hardware: microcomputer systems, printer, microphones• software: painting, animation, sound recording, type manipulation, CD-ROM clip

art collections• character: key positions, in-betweens, cycles.• settings: background, foreground, perspective• actions: head-turn, walk, special effects, squish, squash, stretch, drag, energisers• framing: shot distance (ELS, LS, MLS, MS, MCU, CU, ECU), establishing shot• editing: cut, dissolve, fade in, fade out, standard wipes• sound: speech, music, sound effects• titles: opening titles, end titles, font (serif, sans serif, script, decorative), size, style,

colour, animated

Use ofTechnical

Codes

Rules of thumb for technical codes, text, images, words, sounds and music; theirconnotations; polysemy and anchorage. Animation conventions and style.Genre conventions and style.

EvaluationCriteria

Brief, titling, characters, setting, quality of animation, sound, editing, originality, specialeffects, audience interest, narrative, dramatic effect, representations.

SPECIAL NEEDS


det draft course and unit specifications. 02/05/96 ... studies int2 3rd edition.pdf · • print:...

Documents