Summer research project - deadline

Most of you have published your summer research project to your blog - well done!

If you haven't (you may have joined the course late or been on a trip when the work was set) you need to make sure it is published to your blog by next Friday 13 September.

All the information you need is on this blog - just scroll down.

If you are not able to meet this deadline then we will need to question whether GCSE Media is the right option for you.

Homework - Key Concepts

Your first piece of homework this year is as follows:

1) Find a print advert for a recent videogame (use Google images)

2) Write an analysis of the advert on your blog using the four key media concepts: language, institution, audience and representation.

Make sure this goes on your blog and that we have your blog linked from the main GCSE Media Macguffin page.

Due: Friday 13 September

Example:

Language

The title and packaging of the game, the console logo, background image and web address are all key conventions of a videogame advert. The effect created here is…

Institution

The game was produced by Ubisoft and is available on multiple platforms. The original game was produced for Wii, a Nintendo brand. It was commercially successful (charting at number 1 in the game charts)…

Audience

This looks like it would be targeted at an audience of mixed gender (although perhaps slightly more female?) A reasonably wide age range might apply due to family appeal…

Representation 

The stylistic cover design makes it difficult to see race or ethnicity but it is notable that the two models at the front are female while in the background are males. This is perhaps unusual for most videogames…

GCSE Media Summer Project

Videogame research

Your summer project requires you to choose a videogame from the last two years and research the following: 

• The key information about the game: genre, platform (Xbox, PS3 etc), price, release date, reviews, number of copies sold and any other relevant information. 
• The institutions behind the game – the company or companies that created or developed it (e.g. Electronic Arts etc.)
• How it was marketed/promoted – find example adverts, both print and video, and look at how the game was promoted across different media platforms and social networking. Can you find an image or screengrab of the game’s Facebook page? Does it have a Twitter account? Is it on YouTube?
• The target audience – if you can’t find the official target audience, make an educated guess based on the rest of your research
• How successful it was – did the marketing and promotion campaign work? Is there a sequel planned? How do you know if it was successful?

You need to collect this information and post everything to your blog. The more videos, images and examples you can find the better – we don’t just want a block of text.

You must cover every bullet point above and your research should be an absolute minimum of 500 words.

Also, if you haven't done so already, you need to post your blog URL (e.g. http://thenameofyourmediablog.blogspot.com) as a comment on the post below this one. This will allow us to link to all of our blogs in September.

Due: September (first week back)

Welcome to new GCSE students!

We are delighted you have chosen GCSE Media Studies and confident you will not regret it. Over the next year you will produce some amazing production work, learn a huge amount about analysing the media and end up with an excellent GCSE grade. All you need to do is put the work in!

Your first job is to start your GCSE Media blog. Instructions will be provided or you can find text instructions here. Once you have your blog URL, post it as a comment below with your name clearly written next to it.

E.g. Mr Halsey's blog: http://mediamacguffingcse.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Good luck!

GCSE Media Studies - anonymous survey

Congratulations - you have completed GCSE Media Studies! 

I hope the exam yesterday went well - there were a couple of surprises but by the sounds of it you all wrote some good stuff.

As we get towards the end of the year, we are starting to think about how we can improve GCSE Media for next year and we need your help - your opinion is by far the most important when it comes to how we teach the course. 

Please fill out the survey using the link below to tell us what you think - it is completely anonymous so we won't know who has said what. We need you to be as critical as possible because we always want to improve our teaching.

Thank you for your time and your hard work in Media this year!

Final preparation... URGENT half-term task list!

Complete the following tasks to make sure you are FULLY prepared for your Media Studies exam on the Music Press (Print/Online).

1. Ensure you have read and completed EVERY page in the revision booklet. Make sure you understand each key concept and how it links to the music press (print/online) – if you’re not sure, ask someone or Google it!
2. Find at least three of your own, original examples from the music press (print/online) that we HAVEN’T covered in class. These can be music magazines, websites, fanzines etc. Concentrate on the genre you have chosen. Write these on revision cards.
3. Research your chosen genre in depth. Who are the biggest artists? Who are the next big things? What do the fans of your genre like about the music and lifestyle? You need to know it INSIDE OUT.
4. Go on an online forum for your genre of music and see what the fans are saying. What kind of language do you they use? What are their interests? Write these notes on revision cards.
5. What representation of your genre or typical fan will you offer? Stereotypical? Unusual? Dangerous? Fun? Make a revision card with the heading ‘Representation’ and add these notes.
6. Read the brief again and makes notes on the key words and phrases.
7. Practice writing in-role. Use the language in the brief and example sentence starters to develop phrases that will help sell your idea to Revolutionary Publishing and Rhymix. 
8. Draw your Rhymix website page at least three times on A3 paper. By the end, you need to be able to design and colour it in 20 minutes. You also need to annotate it with the key conventions of a website (leave space around the side for adverts and annotations).
9. Make sure you have specific examples of audio and video content. Decide the actual video (artist/song) that you will have as embedded content. Decide what song you will have playing on a Rhymix Radio player. 
10. Storyboard a TV advert/online viral advert for your Rhymix website genre page (remember the logo, homepage design, colour scheme and featured artists would be the same as your current idea. However, you would have to add music, voiceover and camera shots/transitions). We don’t know what will come up in the exam so it is best to be prepared.

FINAL CHECKLIST...

Final check: do you know your idea for a Rhymix genre section in great detail? Is it original with a clear unique selling point (USP)? Can you confidently explain your idea in 15 minutes?

Final check: have you got a Rhymix logo, colour scheme and design style that you are absolutely confident on and can draw quickly?

Final check: do you know the key conventions for a website and can annotate them quickly?

Final check: have you written 20 minute answers to EVERY practice question in the revision booklet, using examples where appropriate?

Final check: are you confident writing in-role as if you were applying for a real job in the media?

Key phrases in the brief... and possible ideas

Here are your collective ideas for addressing the key phrases in the brief...


“Independent & informed comment on all that is trending in the music scene”
• Live Twitter Feed
• Follow me
• Video/Audio of the day (embedded content)

“We are interested in uncovering creative talent and supporting new artists” 
• You Tube – new artists performing and opportunities to comment
• Follow/Like new artists (Twitter etc)
• Competitions and features about new artists (interviews, gigs etc)

“Opportunities for fans to connect with bands/artists”
• Live Twitter Feed
• Follow me – social networking
• Forums
• Fran sites (connect with other fans)
• Competitions – meet them in person etc