Q1a RevisionOnly spend 30 minutes on this question.

The focus is skills development in the following areas:

• Research & Planning• Using conventions of real media texts• Digital technology• Post-production• Creativity

You are asked to describe and evaluate your skills.

Research and Planning

In groups of 3 use post-it notes to write down as many things as you can remember doing as part of the research and planning for your A2 production work. One thing per post-it.

Research and Planning

Now divide these Post-it notes into those that you think come under research and those that you think come under planning.

Research and PlanningResearch refers to looking at real media and also audiences to inform your thinking about a media production.

Institutional research (such as on how titles work in film openings)

Research into conventions of media texts (layout, fonts, camera shots, soundtracks, everything!)

Audience research (before you made your products and after you finished for feedback),

You can also consider logistical research - recce shots of your locations, research into costume, actors, etc

Research and PlanningPlanning refers to all the creative and logistical thinking and all the organisation and record keeping that goes on in putting the production together so that everything works.

For example, writing a synopsis, creating shot lists, storyboards, animatics, filming schedules, carrying out risk assessments, etc.

Also, don't forget everything you planned as part of the above to achieve continuity!

Research and PlanningNow try to add some more Post-

its to each section.

Research and Planning

Research involves both primary and secondary research.

What is Primary research?What is Secondary research?

Can you further divide your research and planning sections into primary and secondary research?

Research and PlanningAccess your coursework blog and

look back at what skills you said you had at the end of AS. Have you improved any of your skills in research and planning?

Is this demonstrated in the work you produced?

Research and PlanningPick at least two aspects of

research and two aspects of planning that you think you have developed over the last two years.

On different colour Post-it notes, and for each aspect selected, write an example from your AS and A2 work that demonstrates this improvement.

Research and Planning

Write an essay plan for Q1a:

Q: Describe how you developed research and planning skills for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.

Research and PlanningParagraph 1should be an introduction which explains which projects you did. It can be quite short.

Paragraph 2 should pick up the skill area and perhaps suggest something about your starting point with it- what skills did you have already and how were these illustrated. Use an example.

Paragraph 3 should talk through your use of that skill in early projects and what you learned and developed through these. Again there should be examples to support all that you say.

Paragraph 4 should go on to demonstrate how the skill developed in later projects, again backed by examples, and reflecting back on how this represents moves forward for you from your early position did the development of these skills enable you to be more creative?

Paragraph 5 short conclusion

Q1aYou need to be able to do this for the following areas as well to ensure you are fully prepared for this section of the exam:

• Using conventions of real media texts• Digital technology• Post-production

• Homework – Work through the essay plan for using conventions of real media texts. See next slide for guidance.

Using Conventions of Real Media TextsUse of real media conventions involves consideration of other texts that you looked at and how skilfully you were able to weave their conventions into your work or ways in which you might have challenged them. You could consider:

Institutional conventions, e.g. what you would expect a media product from a certain type of organisation to be like/include. Format conventions, e.g. what elements you would expect a film opening, teaser trailer, poster or magazine cover to include Genre conventions, e.g. what kind of narrative, characters, setting and location, iconography, style (camerawork, mise-en-scene, editing and sound) you would expect from a product in that genre.

Tip: Your AS and A2 coursework evaluations required you to consider if you reinforced or challenged conventions of real media, so look back at these to help you.

Using Conventions of Real Media Texts

Advice on this section from the Chief Examiner:‘You need to do more than just say ‘I looked on YouTube’ for conventions of real media, but actually name specific videos you looked at, what you gained from them and how they influenced your work.’

Tip: Your AS and A2 coursework evaluations required you to consider if you reinforced or challenged conventions of real media, so look back at these to help you.

Using Digital Technology

Digital technology refers to hardware, software and online technology, so the digital cameras, the computers, the packages you used and the programs online that you have worked with.

Tip: Your AS and A2 coursework evaluations required you to consider how you used digital technology so look back at these on your blogs.

Using Digital Technology

Now plan which skills and examples you would use to answer to the following question (see help on essay structure on the last slide):

Q: Describe how you developed your skills in the use of digital technology for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to your creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.

Post-productionPost-production is about everything you do after filming to complete your media product; - Image manipulation- Video editing (from cutting the shots and

placing them on the timeline to special effects)

- Creating and editing titles and graphics- Sound production- Sound & Video mixing

(So, post-production skills could include isolating a character image from the background in Photoshop, organising clips on the timeline in FCE, using the razor blade, adding transitions, using particular effects, adjusting sound levels, looping/layering sound clips, etc.)

Post-productionNow plan which skills and examples you would use to answer to the following question (see help on essay structure on the last slide):

Q: Describe how you developed your post-production skills for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to your creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.

Q1a Essay StructureParagraph 1should be an introduction which explains which projects you did. It can be quite short.

Paragraph 2 should pick up the skill area and perhaps suggest something about your starting point with it- what skills did you have already and how were these illustrated. Use an example.

Paragraph 3 should talk through your use of that skill in early projects and what you learned and developed through these. Again there should be examples to support all that you say.

Paragraph 4 should go on to demonstrate how the skill developed in later projects, again backed by examples, and reflecting back on how this represents moves forward for you from your early position did the development of these skills enable you to be more creative?

Paragraph 5 short conclusion