Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
You must include something on: film genre, narrative, form, style, and construction.
a. Genre ‑ demonstrate some understanding of the conventions of your chosen genre, and use some real film examples to illustrate this
Show some awareness of how you have followed/challenged genre conventions
This would usually include some discussion of
• Typical characters/istics/behaviour
• Typical events that take place
• Typical themes
• Typical iconography ‑ mise‑en‑scene, lighting, setting
b. Narrative structure ‑ you should be able to identify the way films are conventionally structured, and you should be able to identify how your film is structured, and whether it conforms to this pattern or breaks it. You will need to talk about the whole film as well as the opening
Key terminology:
• classic narrative pattern
• equilibrium
• disruption
• resolution etc
You will then need to talk about specific narrative techniques you have used in your sequence. Key terms you could use are:
• Real time
• Ellipsis
• Linear
• Parallel
• Dual
• Cross cutting
• Flashbacks
• Action and enigma codes
You should talk about the character roles you have included and how they move the narrative along. Terms you may use are: Villain, Victim, Hero, Princess, Protagonist, Antagonist etc
c. Form ‑ you should be able to identify what the typical features of an opening sequence actually are, and whether or not yours follows the typical format or not. You could also think about function ‑ does your sequence do the job an opening sequence is supposed to do. Use some real examples for comparison.
d. Style ‑ identify the way your film looks and feels. Talk about the soundtrack, dialogue, graphics, pace, rhythm, colours. Identify the shooting and editing techniques you used to construct your sequence and the impact they have. Camera work, framing, continuity, and binary opposites are relevant here. Use some real examples for comparison
Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Focus on one or two areas in some detail ‑ eg age, gender, nationality, profession, state of mind, race, religion. Use real examples for comparative material.
Identify specific decisions you have made with examples to illustrate how you have constructed a particular representation
Explicit deconstruction is required ‑ eg dress/gesture/action codes, also setting and behaviour, relationships etc
Don't forget your film could have been made about anyone or anything
Question 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Think about what the question is actually asking
Identify your production company and the kinds of films they make. Can you name a similar example? Who are you trying to reach with your film?
Identify the kind of distributer who may get behind your film to promote and distribute it. Can you name a real example?
Identify the kinds of platforms that your film could be exhibited. Can you name some particular examples?
You could use real film examples for comparison.
Question 4: Who would be the audience for your media product?
Describe the kind of audience you had in mind when producing your film. There is a clear link here between all the other questions, particularly 3.
You may identify them through the following:
Age
Gender
Nationality
Lifestyle/attitude to life
Tastes in media
Film consumption habits
Fandom/expertise
You may also want to use the following terms:
Broad/niche
Mass audience
Core or primary
Secondary
Local, national,
& international
Demographic
Question 5: How did you attract/address your audience?
This is where you may draw on and develop points made previously. You are approaching them from a different angle though. Notice the word your.
You would be advised to focus on:
• Pleasures (including pain!)
• Fears
• Audience appeal/engagement/potential or actual reactions
• Relevance of themes, plot, setting, characters
You could identify the techniques and tactics that your audience are used to and say how you have used those to gain their attention
Techniques/tactics you may have used:
• Choosing a genre popular with your audience
• Conforming to expectations
• Use of narrative twists, shocks and surprises
• Choice of film style
• Editing techniques ‑ montage, continuity, seamless
• Suspension of disbelief
• Build up of enigma
Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Think about the nature of the question.
Use the correct names and terms: brand names, spellings, terms like non linear editing, digital technology, auto‑focus etc
Imagine you were doing the project again, or a new project or advising someone else
• What would you do differently with the benefit of hindsight?
• What do you know that you didn't know before?
• What advice would you pass on?
• What are the advantages/disadvantages of different technology used
• What could you have done, but didn't
Focus your answer on:
Use of hardware ‑ camera, lighting, tripod, dolly, track, ‑techniques used Use of software ‑ different types, techniques used
You may have learnt something in relation to the following:
- Ease of use
- Health and safety
- Handling issues
- Portability
- Quality issues
- Flexibility
- Scope
- e-Creative possibilities
Question 7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Your focus should be ‑ what have you learnt. This requires you to identify the benefits of doing the prelim task. Provide specific examples to support your points.
Summarise the brief for each task at the start of your answer.
Refer to the different stages of production to help focus your points.
You are advised to focus on the following areas:
* The planning process including audience issues, location, reccies,storyboarding, permissions
* The process of running a shoot, including the roles, working to a shooting script, shot order, how much to shoot, running on the action, achieving a seamless narrative, master shots etc.
* The editing process, including capturing, using a timeline, re‑ordering etc
* The evaluation process, including different types of feedback, organising focus groups etc
* Working as a team
WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR COURSEWORK
Must be a group project
Must demonstrate clear evidence of individual contribution
An electronic portfolio, providing evidence of research, planning, production and evaluation
• A preliminary exercise
• A 2 minute opening sequence for a fiction film, including titles and a soundtrack
You can make a start on your coursework research and planning straight away. For example:
Research:
> Genre moodboard
> Reading around the films on the screening list
> Organise your own group screenings; keep a record
> Discussion of films that have inspired you
> Storyboard a short sequence from a film and analyse it
> Analysis of a selection of genre stills ‑ mise‑en‑scene, character, camera
> Analysis of a film website of your choice
> Exploration of Barthes, Propp, Todorov and Propp theory ‑ apply to a film you
have seen
Planning:
- Recces of possible locations for filming
- Selection of actors
- Test shots and sequences
- Brainstorming ideas
- Planning a treatment and a script
Recommended reading:
General points
~ There needs to be a knowledge base to each answer
~ You must illustrate your points with specific, developed examples from your own film sequence
~ Assume your examiner knows nothing about you, this area, your film or chosen genre.
~ Provide proper context in your answers.
~ Explain/describe the context clearly before analysing something ‑ put them in the picture
~ If you have used music/sound effects you must identify track and source. If you use film references, you should identify director and date eg:
My sequence is similar to the opening of the well‑known horror/thriller 'Scream' (Craven, 1996), because…
~ Answer the question specifically. Don't ramble ‑ stick to the point. Link back to the question
~ Summarise your answer at start or end
~ Personalise the language of your answers to your project ie 'film opening sequence', not 'media product'
~ You should integrate real film references and your audience feedback into the relevant answers i.e. Qu's 1 – 7
~ Question 1 answer should cover a wide range but not a huge depth ‑you can develop your points in later questions
~ It may be advisable to provide a short, descriptive outline/summary of your film at the start so everything else that follows makes sense. You could include a cast and crew list, and production context ‑ dates, filming locations etc.
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