Year 12 Media Studies - Ongoing Progress

Week Commencing 30th January 2012
This will be the last opportunity you have in which to complete any aspects of filming. Your group's main focus should the editing of the production and ensuring that this resembles a Crime Drama. You will be introduced to the evaluation next week and this will form the basis for your mock exam grade. In the event that you finish your editing, you will need to identify specific examples of strengths and weaknesses from your production - therefore, you will need to refer to specific camera shots, angles etc. It is also essential that you consider how your sequence can be identified as a Crime Drama.

Week Commencing 6th February 2012
You will be completing your coursework evaluation under timed conditions during the lesson on Friday 10th February. This will ionvolve you discussing the pre-production, production and post production stages of the process. For example, you will need to discuss how you analysed specific examples of TV Crime Drama Programmes in an effort to determine how typical conventions are used to make the genre recognisable. All aspects of the editing must be finished by this Friday as you will need to highlight specific examples of strengths and weaknesses associated with your production.

Week Commencing 20th February 2012
As part of your homework tasks you need to complete the following tasks that are based on audience. This MUST be word-processed. This analysis will form the basis for your first case-study.


Task: What do you understand by the Uses & Gratifications theory? You may wish to refer to page 98 of your textbook for further help and assistance.Watch the trailer from Slumdog Millionaire - answer the following questions:

How might different audiences respond to this film? Refer to specific examples from the trailer.
What ‘Uses and Gratifications’ are offered by the film? Refer to specific examples from the trailer.
How have the producers of the film attempted to attract a range of different audiences? Refer to specific examples from the trailer.


Please note: When discussing specific examples, you should consider the use of the micro elements - for example, mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound and editing. 


Week Commencing 20th February 2012
Ladies and gentleman, following today's lesson, and the analysis of the Slumdog Millionaire extract, you need to attempt the following essay question and ensure that you use specific examples from the sequence:
§Task: Discuss the representations that you have identified in the Slumdog Millionaire opening 35 minutes. You need to consider the different representations of place, poverty, class, gender and cultural identity, as we discussed in class. Discuss specific examples from key sequences and consider the way audiences would respond to this text. 
Suggested Essay Plan:

• Introduce the film title, year and director.
• Explain what you understand by representation and audience and discuss the different uses and gratifications that audiences may have as their reasons for consuming this film text.
• Explain that there are different examples of representation that can be established within this text.
• Discuss the opening 35 minutes of the film, identifying the three key sequences discussed in class. Explain the representations that are constructed and give examples of how you came to this conclusion.
• Briefly summarise how different audiences may respond to this text. 

Year 10 Media Studies - Ongoing Progress

Week Commencing 5th February 2012
Once all work on your controlled assessment has been completed you will need to complete the following:You need to answer the three set questions below, with specific reference to the James Bond sequence that we analysed in class. This clip can be revisited if necessary and accessed below:

 
Questions:
1) Identify and explain two conventions that make this sequence recognisable as an Action Adventure film.
2) Explain how the following are used to create effects that are typical of the Action Adventure genre:

• Cinematography
• Mise-en-scene
• Sound
• Editing

Ensure that you highlight specific examples and discuss the effect that these have.
3) Discuss the representation of characters in the sequence.

Week Commencing 20th February 2012
Your planning should now be completely up to date. Both film posters should also now be completed and printed off - please ensure that you use the checklist
Week Commencing - 6th February 2012
All pupils must ensure that their planning for their two film posters is up to date - this includes an analysis of film posters from a variety of different genres as well as three planning exercises for the two posters you are going to be producing. One poster should represent women in a stereotypical way and the second in an anti-stereotypical way. As part of your homework, you are required to consider how you will construct the film poster evaluation. The set questions for this can be found below:

What was your aim for this task? What have you had to do?

What are the ideas behind both of your films and who would produce this film text? (Film companies)

Who are the chosen target audience for your films and how does the text appeal to that particular audience?

How have you used specific codes and conventions of film posters and how have these contributed to the representation

 of the women in your film posters?

Evaluate the success of your decisions made throughout the panning process.

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your product – how could your work be further improved?

Year 13 Media Studies Ongoing Progress

Week Beginning 30th January 2012
All pupils will sit a mock exam next Friday (10th February). You need to revisit al topics for 1A in effort to fully prepare for this exam. Remember, you must be sure of the different examples you will be referring to from your productions at AS and A2.
Week beginning 6th February 2012
For those of you who missed today's lesson (Which was a large number of you), you will need to further develop your understanding of representation and the issues evolving from this. Some examples of theories you need to develop your understanding of are:

• Dyer's Signs of character
• Media Stereotyping
• Representations and Absence
• Laura Mulvey - 'The male gaze / Psychoanalytical theory'

You must relate your AS or A2 production to theories which concern representation. For example, you may analyse the opening sequence that you created in year twelve and consider how the characters and setting are represented. You must refer to specific examples ot support your points and ideas.

Year 11 Media Studies - Ongoing Progress

Week Beginning 7th May 2012
You will need to access the following clip and make notes to help you respond to questions 2 and 3 of the exam. Once you have done this, you need to develop two exemplar responses to these questions using this material.
 
Week Beginning 2nd March 2012
Your homework for this week is to answer the three set questions below, with specific reference to the James Bond sequence that we analysed in class. This clip can be revisited if necessary and accessed below:

Questions:
1) Identify and explain two conventions that make this sequence recognisable as an Action Adventure film.
2) Explain how the following are used to create effects that are typical of the Action Adventure genre:

• Cinematography
• Mise-en-scene
• Sound
• Editing

Ensure that you highlight specific examples and discuss the effect that these have.
3) Discuss the representation of characters in the sequence.

Week Beginning 20th February 2012
Your homework for this week's lesson requires you to ensure that you complete all aspects of the weekly logs (This includes all lessons) as well as the most recent lesson on Friday 25th February in which you conducted your audience feedback. All weekly logs must be up to date by this lesson. You will have the opportunity to finish your evaluations and include the audience feedback during the lesson on March 2nd so please ensure that you have your production logs with you.
Week Beginning 6th February 2012
Ladies and gentleman, by the end of today's lesson, it is essential that you complete all aspects of your editing. This includes the incorporation of sound effects, sound diegetic sound, credits and all transitions and special effects. Your homework this week should be a very detailed weekly log which discusses how your sequence reflects you initial ideas and whether or not you think this is successful. This can be quite a general overview as we will be conducting audience feedback during the lesson after half term.
You also need to attempt the final evaluation of your sequence, although you will need to leave out the part which asks you to discuss your audience feedback. This must be word-processed. A plan for the essay can be seen below:

This must be 800 words in length and address the following areas:

1    Introduce the task – what have you had to do?

2    Introduce your chosen film genre (thriller) and identify some of the typical conventions.

a.     Discuss the Thriller sequences we analysed in lesson and how these use the conventions of the thriller genre  / opening sequences - refer to specific examples.

b.     What influences did you take from these films? Give specific examples.

            What was your main responsibility at each of the following stages?

a.     Planning

b.     Construction

      Introduce your chosen target audience and explain that you conducted market research to allow you to select a sub-genre based on the views and opinions of your audience.

5    What do you think are the main strengths of your production and what specific techniques did you use to create the right mood and atmosphere? Refer to specific examples of mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound and editing that you used.

6    What typical conventions did you use within your production – give specific examples and discuss how these helped you to create an effective product.

7    Discuss your audience feedback – give specific examples of what your peers had to say about your production. You will need to highlight specific examples of strengths and weaknesses.

8    Do you agree with your feedback? If so, why?

9   Is there anything that you would change about the production if you were to have the opportunity to do this task again?

To achieve an A grade (Level 4) , you must do each of the following things:

• There is a detailed evaluation of the monitoring of decisions and revisions.

• There is a detailed discussion of how the brief related to research into similar media texts and target

audiences.

• There is excellent understanding of the forms and conventions used in the production.

• There is excellent understanding of the significance of audience feedback.

• There is excellent ability to communicate.

• There is a thorough evaluation of the success of the finished media text in meeting the original brief.

• There is an accurate command of appropriate medium-specific terminology


Week Beginning 30th January 2012
All pupils will now be starting the editing process after completing all filming. Editing should take into consideration all the planning that has been completed in the pre-production stage, this includes:

• The story-boarding
• The shot list

All pupils will need to update their production logs and discuss all the work they have completed in today's lesson, making specific reference to decisions that have been made as well as their individual involvement. The weekly log should also take into consideration the editing decisions they have made, for example, which clips they have cut down, the transitions they have used and any thoughts in regards to soundtrack.

Welcome to Mr. Sears' Media & Film Studies Blog

Welcome to my Media and Film Studies blog which has been designed to help you further prepare for exams and coursework in year ten, eleven, twelve and thirteen. You will find available links and resources that can be used to help further develop your subject knowledge and understanding.

I hope you find it useful.

Mr. Sears