Year 12 Media Studies

Course OutlineCoursework requirements

Expectations

How many of these films can you name?

Answers….

Star Wars Planet of the Apes Usual Suspects The Wicker Man The Crying Game

Dallas Harry Potter 6 Sixth SenseFight Club 300 MatrixCitizen Kane The Others PsychoSoylent Green The Village

Beautiful Mind Donnie Darko

Course Outline

• Examination Body –OCR• AS Code is H140– G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media (Coursework

50%)– G322: Key Media Concepts -TV Drama and

Institutions and Audiences (2 hour Exam 50%)

Expectation• 100% Attendance is the goal (You are expected to

catch up and this includes homework)• 3 – 5 hours of study outside of class time– Research topics (go beyond what has been set), filming

and editing, extension reading (borrowing library at the back of the room, MediaMagazine, internet and ask your teachers)

– Practice questions (go beyond what has been set in class)

– Watching ‘stuff’• Positive Attitude to everything

Course Work Set Brief – Intro scenes to a new thriller film including titles

• Three key assessment stages– Research and Planning 20 marks

– Construction 60 marks– Evaluation 20 marks

• At each stage you are marked as an individual even though you work in groups so you need to participate in every stage

• Everything must be recorded on your blog (blogger – works best with a gmail accound)

Research and Planning

• Involves everything from finding out about the Thriller genre through to creating the storyboard and shot lists.

• Involves some class work but a lot of group and individual work

• Will start by looking at the genre and then brainstorm your initial ideas

• Preliminary exercise – chance to learn and practice key skills (match on action, shot reverse shot and 180 degree rule)

Research and Planning• Marks given for the following:– Research in to similar products (other Thriller films

and student work)– Research into the potential target audience (both

at the start and throughout the project)– Organisation of Actors, Locations, Costumes and

Props– Shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting and/or

storyboarding– Level of care in presentation – including use of

technology!!!!– Time management

Construction

• Everything from the initial filming through to editing and adding sound and/or special effects.

• You will need to get approval for your footage.• Produce a draft edit for marking.• Keep your blog updated with progress reports• Gather audience feedback• Solely group work but there will be regular

meetings with your teacher to discuss progress

Construction• Marks are awarded for:– holding a shot steady, where appropriate; – framing a shot, including and excluding elements as

appropriate; – using a variety of shot distances as appropriate; – shooting material appropriate to the task set; – selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting,

objects and setting; – editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer; – using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively

and appropriately for the task set; – using sound with images and editing appropriately for the

task set; – using titles appropriately.

Evaluation1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or

challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 2. How does your media product represent particular social

groups? 3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media

product and why? 4. Who would be the audience for your media product? 5. How did you attract/address your audience? 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process

of constructing this product? 7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you

have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Marking

• While you will work in groups you will get an individual mark for all three stages.

• At the research stage ‘tagging’ on the blog will be important

• ‘Teacher evidence’ is a big factor in the construction and evaluation phases. You need to be fully involved at all stages of your mark will reflect a lack of involvement

Summer Homework

• What thriller films did you watch?– Get into small groups. Discuss what thriller films

you have seen recently. Look at the list provided to remind yourself of what you could have watched.

– What things do thriller have in common? Think about narrative (events) and characters, the mood, effects on the audience, use of technical elements like camera, sound, mise en scene, editing etc)

Genre Recipe

• Genre Recipe– Make a list of ten key ‘ingredient’ that would make

up a Thriller film (include measurements!).– Write baking style instructions as to how you

would combine the ingredients to make the perfect Thriller film

– Illustrate with pictures….

Homework

• If we could only watch one film this year what should it be?– Pick any film that you love and explain why it is a

film that everyone should watch– Try to give strong reasons (think about the

narrative, characters, actors performance, impact it had on you, the way it used film techniques – sound, camera, mise en scene, editing etc)

– 300 – 500 words– Due in 15th Sept