UPDATE YOUR BLOG!

Every week (at least) you must update your production blog with reflections about what you have achieved that week.

This information will prove invaluable for the two evaluation activities you must complete.

You cannot rely on just hoping to remember what you did this week in 3,4, 5 months time.

Look at the posts about 'The Production Evaluation' and 'Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production' to focus your reflections.

Put simply, you must try to record what you have done each week and how your understanding / skills have developed as a result. Try to use an academic, analytical tone - use appropriate media language and theories in your writing.

Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production

Candidates answer two compulsory questions. The first requires them to describe and evaluate their skills development over the course of their production work, from Foundation Portfolio to Advanced Portfolio. The second asks them to identify one production and evaluate it in relation to one theoretical concept.

Question 1(a) requires candidates to describe and evaluate their skills development over the course of their production work, from Foundation Portfolio to Advanced Portfolio. The focus of this evaluation must be on skills development, and the question will require them to adapt this to one or two specific production practices. The list of practices to which questions will relate is as follows:

• Digital Technology
• Creativity
• Research and planning
• Post-production
• Using conventions from real media texts

In the examination, questions will be posed using one or two of these categories.

Question 1(b) requires candidates to select one production and evaluate it in relation to a media concept. The list of concepts to which questions will relate is as follows:

Genre

Narrative

Representation

Audience

Media language

In the examination, questions will be set using one of these concepts only.

The Production Evaluation

Similar to your AS Production Portfolio, this is another media artefact for you to produce; it is not an essay! The format will be decided by you, to be chosen inline with the set brief chosen.

In the evaluation a number of set questions are offered for consideration:

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

When you are writing your production blog it would be wise to have these questions in mind.

Additionally you should focus on the categories listed in the topics for Section A (1a and 1b) of the examination - see next posting.

Research

Part of your work for over the summer break is to begin to undertake in-depth research into the texts that you identified in your Initial Proposal.

In class on Tuesday I gave you handouts to explain the format and list criteria required for this analysis. You must have a completed grid for each of the texts and each of the products.

For example,: 3x film trailers + 3x film posters + 3x film magazine cover pages

You choose to do some or all of this research for September but you MUST get authentic examples of each that you have selected, eg for newspapers you must have the hard copies NOT online versions

Additionally, you may need to use the opportunities offered by the summer break to captures images/sound that you will need in the production. You may need to begin to experiment with equipment/software to test the viability of your decisions.

In September you must have everything in place to begin your Full Proposal.

Good luck & enjoy the summer,

Mr Whyte

awhyte@harrodian.com

Deadlines & Progress

Initial Proposal: Wed 7th July

Full Proposal & Research: Mon 13th September

Preproduction Planning: Mon 27th September

Completed Products x3: Mon 29th November

Evaluation First Draft: Wed 8th December

Final versions of ALL coursework: Wed 30th March

Initial Proposal

Initial Proposal

Purpose: to decide upon the Brief you wish to complete and plan the next stage of research

After having considered ALL 13 Briefs thoughtfully you will have:
• formulated a shortlist of options
• undertaken some basic research into the viability of the Brief
• undertaken some basic research (form, content, style) into the nature of each of the elements of production

The next stage is to plan the work you will need to do in advance of the production stage:
• Select a range (minm. 3) of real texts to deconstruct for each of the production elements
• Identify any technical elements that need to be researched/experimented with

In this initial proposal you must:

• State clearly the brief you wish to complete
• Explain why you have selected this brief
• Explain what each of the elements of your selected brief will involve
• Discuss your initial thoughts about the genre/content/style – what you plan to make?
• Identify (name) your key texts (minm. 3) to be studied for research analysis
• Identify any areas for technical research/experimentation
• Create a timetable (tasks & completion dates) for your research and experimentation

THIS DOCUMENT WILL FORM PART OF YOUR FINAL ASSESSMENT!

Production Research

Following your Initial Proposal you will have identified a minimum of 3 texts for EACH product.

The next job is to produce evidence of detailed, in-depth research.

We are doing this to:

• produce evidence for assessment
• ensure that you fully understand the nature of the product that you are planning to create
• to collate the information needed for your FULL PROPOSAL

Access 'Practical Production Research' on school network: Pupilshare/A2 Media2010_11

Produce ONE grid for EACH element of EACH text.