Blog It!!!

Calling Year 12!!!!

I know you have completed some excellent research - but where is it on your blogs? Can we please ensure it's blogged as soon as possible! We would like to mark your work and offer you guidance.

Thursday's lesson will be all about the construction process - making sure you understand what makes a level 4. So research stage should be complete by now.

You should be composing three blogs daily ideally. Do this from now on. Don't be afraid of the blog!

See you Thursday!

Miss C

Narrative.

Hi People!

This afternoon, you will all be given a particular narrativie theory to reseach.We will be discussing and trying to apply the theory to your portfolio.

Please produce a hand-out on your theorist for everybody in the group for Wednesday, 13th March.

Miss Cassidy

Question 1 Section A: Using Conventions from Real Media Texts

Using Conventions from Real Media Texts

 

 

You are going to deliver a presentation to the group on Friday 1^st March. Please be ready to deliver and to ask questions.

Remember we're getting our 'story straight' for the exam - you should ensure your presentation is included in your folders under Question 1 section A: Conventions from Real Media Texts

You may learn something from other presentations too! Please use media terminology in your presentation.

 

Using conventions from real media texts  (Section A of the exam).  You need to cover these questions in your presentation:

 

·         How and why have you used media conventions?

·         How successful was your use of conventions?

·         How and why have you broken/challenged conventions?

·         How successful was this?

·         How has your use of media conventions developed?

 

Remember you need to consider how your use of media conventions developed from AS to A2.

Critical Perspectives in Media (exam)

1a) This question will focus on how your skills have develpoed across the AS and A2 course. You will need to explore both portfolios. The following skills will need to be looked at in detail:

• creativity
• digital technology
• research and planning
• post production
• using conventions from real media texts.

The exam question will have one of the above as its focus.


1b) You will apply media theories to one portfolio. You will need to research and apply the following areas of media theory:

• genre
• narrative
• representation
• audience
• media language

So, let's begin our preparation with a review of both portfolios. Please type this on a word
document and organise your notes with clear headings over the coming weeks.
Please answer the following questions by the end of Wednesday's lesson (p5) - I am expecting to discuss our thoughts at some point in the lesson too.

1. In which area have you seen an improvement - from foundation to advanced portfolio? (see areas in question 1a)

2. What challenges did you face in each portfolio? Explain how you resolved challenge/s or if, as a result, you approached your advanced portfolio differently?

3. Whch area is your strength? (See areas in question 1a). Please give examples and consider if this strength has developed in the advanced portfolio.

4. What would you do differently? (For both portfolios)....(Is there an area of weakness still?)

5.Finally, what advice would you impart to a prospective media student?

Production stage: How can we progress forward?

We're mid-way through the production process, dealines are looming and I'm very aware that Final Cut Pro will not be fully installed on all machines in the Media Room until Friday. We have no access to A5 today. So, we're going to have think very carefully about how we can use our hour today to progress, to get things done. I would like to review the mark scheme with you  and of our progress so far at the start of the lesson. These are some of the tasks you can set yourself for today.

 

Tasks you could complete today to help you progress:

·         Capture footage appropriate for your genre. Footage you can work with. Get filming!

·         There are two machines with Final Cut Pro installed (in Media Room) – upload your work and practise with transitions and effects. Consider what would really work for your genre.

·         Use iMovie. Upload any footage you have and practise sequencing your work. You can always save your work and then upload to Final Cut Pro once it is installed.

·         Read through Final Cut Pro X chapter 7 'Applying Transitions' - identify transitions and instructions which may help you - blog these. Alternatively there are several tutorials on You Tube - listen carefully and blog instructins which may help you. This is a new programme -we're all learning together!

·         If your talent is unable to film , practise filming different shots and frames. Upload to IMovie or Final Cut Pro – practise and ‘play around’ with effects. What would work for your footage? Make a note of this, blog this.

·         Evaluate your storyboard? Do you need to amend or change? Blog why.

·         Ancillary tasks.  Begin drafting and creating – if you can.

·         Consider evaluation questions. Consider what you have done so far and make notes. Think of ideas to present your evaluation – you will have to be creative in your evaluation to achieve a level 4.

This is just a blog to 'hurry you along' ! Come on, get cracking! This Friday (in your double) I would like you to have completed a detailed storyboard/script and a focus group (if you can) ready to present your ideas to. We really should planning right now!

Some of you still have blogs missing on audience pleasures/uses and gratifications. Look at the Audience booklet I have given you today - read specifically through Hyperdermic Needle effect; Cultivation/Culmination and the Two Step Theory - which theory could apply to your genre?  Think very carefully about the Uses and Gratifications an audience would have for your genre or idea - which uses/gratification would apply to them - information? Personal identity? Social Interation? Personal Identitiy?

Just to clarify read though and consider:

• Hyperdermic Needle effect
• Cultivation/Culmination Theory
• Two Step Theory
• Which uses/gratifications would apply to your target audience?

Keep using your booklet as a guide! Remember Christmas is the deadline...

Miss C

To Do List

You should be nearing the end of the research stage! Plesse make you complete the following:

• consider key directors of your genre and their influence.
• define your audience - age, gender, lifestyle interests and social-economic group.
• consider digital technology you may use for production.
• mood board for your idea.
• the ideaology of your specific genre - this means the overall 'feel' and 'attitiude' of your genre. Will you include specific icons, tropes?
• you do need to think carefully about audience pleasure. What will your audience enjoy? Refresh yourself on the different theories listed in your booklet - could this apply to your specific genre? Did it ever?
• Plan the storyboard (please see booklet for details.)
• Set up a focus group and consider all of the above when you question them. Blog your findings.

Please don't ever just blog a defintion of a theory or a term - be analytical; apply theory/term to your own work.
Ideally all of the above needs to be done by Monday 15th October and you should be organising a recce , a cast and taking loacation shots next week. Please aim to stick tot his deadline.