Mr Halsey cover work: Tuesday 15 December

Well done to all Media students for completing the PPE on Monday morning. It's the first step in making sure you get a fantastic grade in the summer.

Unfortunately, I won't be in Tuesday's lessons due to being out at an A Level Media conference. The cover work is as promised:

Complete Assignment 2 production work.

This means your film poster on Photoshop and your film trailer storyboard by hand.

I'll leave equipment out for your storyboard.

Remember: your deadline for Assignment 2 production work is Thursday.

Good luck - I will be back in on Thursday to give final feedback and collect in your work!

Exam revision - BBC iWonder feature

With absolutely perfect timing, the BBC website today has a feature on the most significant CGI moments in film history. Not all of these are Science Fiction films but most are.

Read the article here.

I'd recommend making a few revision cards on the key moments from the Science Fiction films quoted and then you can use this in the exam on Monday!

PPE preparation: glossary of key words

Ms Fowler has very kindly put together two excellent glossaries to help with you exam preparation.

These lists of key words and phrases will significantly increase your mark if you can use them accurately and extensively in your exam answers.

This Exam Glossary is full of useful phrases for film marketing and meeting the brief.

This Science Fiction Glossary will give you all the key terms to use when pitching your idea for a new Science Fiction film.

Keep working hard on your exam preparation and good luck!

PPE exam preparation: Science Fiction homework tasks

Your PPE Media Studies exam is on Monday 14 December at 08.30am.

The preliminary material that gives you the brief you need to follow in the exam is available here. You will also be given a printed copy in class.

You MUST complete the following research and planning tasks before the exam on Monday 14 December.


Research 

1) Complete the Independence Day case study questions.

2) Revise your summer project research into a Science Fiction film that you chose. Write down the following from your summer project film:

• Title and tagline for the film
• The sub-genre of Science Fiction the film fits into
• The narrative (storyline) of the film
• The characters and why they might appeal to an audience
• The setting of the film and how this fits the Science Fiction genre
• The mise-en-scene (props, costumes, colour, lighting etc.) of the film and how this fits the Science Fiction genre
• The institutions behind the film and how much money it made
• The stars and/or director of the film
• The critical reception - did it get good reviews? How can you tell?
• The target audience for the film (including the age rating)

Planning

1) Brainstorm ideas for a new Science Fiction film aimed at a family audience. Plan out the following:

1. Issue/fear that drives the storyline (e.g. alien invasion, contagious disease, overpopulation etc.)
2. Title and tag line
3. Logline – summing up the film in one ‘hook’ sentence
4. Other successful Science Fiction films similar to your idea
5. The narrative elements / plot and the sub-genre of Science Fiction it fits into
6. Location: the setting of the film and how this fits the Science Fiction genre
7. The hero / heroine and their appeal to the audience
8. The conflicts the hero / heroine encounters during the film (can be physical, moral or internal)
9. Other characters and their role in the film
10. Presentational style: The look, style and feel of the film e.g. will it feature 3D? Visual and Sound FX? CGI? 

2) Which of the aspects of the brief have you successfully included in your idea? (Note: you do not need to include all but must include at least two of these aspects.)

• Futuristic Earth setting
• Another planet such as Pluto or Mars
• Outer space or set on a spaceship
• Issues of genetic engineering, cloning or AI
• Changing people, robot technology or how people may develop in future through scientific advancement

3) How will you make your film popular with a family audience?

4) Plan a marketing campaign for your film: trailers and video content, social media, apps, tied-in merchandising, franchise opportunities (e.g. sequels, spin-offs etc.)

5) Prepare for the creative task in the exam. Plan, sketch and draw the following:

• Logo and graphic identity for your new Science Fiction film
• Film poster
• Website homepage for your Science Fiction film
• Storyboard for a 30 second trailer for the film. Use this AQA storyboard sheet if you don't pick up a paper copy in class. 

All tasks MUST be completed before Monday 14 December

Science Fiction Case Study 1: Independence Day

Your first case study for our Science Fiction exam topic is the classic 1996 blockbuster Independence Day starring Will Smith.

Work through the following tasks in order to make yourself an expert on the film. You will need this knowledge to answer Task 1 in the exam.

Case Study 1: Independence Day

Most importantly, watch the film. You can buy it on YouTube, Amazon or iTunes or if you have a Netflix subscription it should be available on there. 

Then, use imdb.com, rottentomatoes.com and any other relevant websites you can access to find out the following information about the film...

Institutional background
Use IMDB to find out the institutions behind Independence Day. Click on Company Credits and then look for the production company and UK distributor.

1) What was the film studio or production company behind Independence Day? E.g. Warner Brothers, Paramount etc.

2) Who was the distributor for the theatrical release of the film in the UK?


Genre and Media language analysis
1) What sub-genre of Science Fiction does Independence Day fit into? What issues or fears in society might be addressed in the film?

2) How can you tell it fits that sub-genre? Be specific with reference to specific clips or scenes from the film.

3) How does the narrative (storyline) of the film fit the Science Fiction genre?

4) Who are the main characters in Independence Day and why might they appeal to an audience?

5) How does the mise-en-scene in Independence Day fit the Science Fiction genre?


Release date and marketing campaign
1) What was the UK release date for your chosen film?

2) Find the trailer for Independence Day, embed it in your blog and explain why it might appeal to an audience. 

3) What other examples of marketing can you find on Google for Independence Day (film poster, teaser trailers, main trailers, newspaper reviews or TV interviews etc.)



Critical reception
1) What is the IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes rating for Independence Day?

2) What is the word-of-mouth like for Independence Day? Use the IMDB user review rating or the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating to judge whether the public rate the movie.

3) Find three quotes (no more than 25 words each) from user reviews of Independence Day and post them on your blog.


Box office success
Use IMDB to find out the box office records for Independence Day. Click on Company Credits and then Box Office/Business. You may also want to use the excellent website Box Office Mojo to find out the budget and box office success for the film.

1) What was the original budget for Independence Day?

2) How much money did Independence Day make in the opening weekend?

3) How much money has Independence Day made in total? (Look for the subheading ‘Gross’ which has the total box-office earnings listed).

4) For a film to be considered a box office success, it needs to make at least two-and-a-half times the budget in box office takings. Using this method, was Independence Day a success at the box office? 


Stars and director
Research the stars and director for Independence Day.

1) What other films has the director made? Are they in the same or similar genres?

2) Who is the main star of Independence Day?

3) What other films has the main star appeared in? Are any of those films similar to Independence Day? Are any of them Science Fiction films?

4) Are the stars or the director or writer mentioned in the trailer for Independence Day?


Audience pleasures
1) What specific aspects of Independence Day would an audience enjoy?

2) Identify three key moments in the film that audiences would particularly enjoy and explain the audience appeal for these key scenes. Use media language in your analysis.

3) Which characters in Independence Day would particularly appeal to different audience types? Use specific examples from the film to support your points.

4) Write a detailed demographic breakdown of the possible target audience for Independence Day. Include age, gender, social class, education, job/earnings, where they live, what they enjoy in their spare time and brands they are attracted to.


All tasks MUST be completed before Monday 14 December