Assignment 2: December task list

1) Research and planning: find five film posters and five trailers for five different films and post them to your blog. Write an analysis to go with each one outlining the genre of the film, the key conventions of the poster/trailer and any interesting additional information such as the representation of people or places in the poster/trailer.

2) Brainstorm possible film ideas for your original film idea. Plan the following:

• Genre
• Title
• Narrative
• Characters/actors (advise not using major stars)

3) Write a film pitch for your original film idea.

Film pitch guidance

You need to create a sales pitch for an imaginary film of approximately 150 words. The pitch should be no longer than 150 words and begin with a ‘log line’. 

The pitch will include:

• A ‘log line’ (a one sentence summary of the film's narrative)
• brief reference to your film's genre
• brief reference to at least one similar film
• brief reference to the target audience for your film
• indication of main characters
• brief summary of narrative (what happens in the story)

Websites to help you:
scripthollywood: Hollywood script writing and film pitching 
BBC Writer’s Room: guidance for planning and writing creatively for TV and film

4) Plan your photoshoot for your film poster:

• Who will be in it?
• What location will you use?
• What costume and make-up is required?
• What type of shots are you planning?

5) Carry out your photoshoot, capture the images then design your film poster using Photoshop.

6) Plan your storyboard for your film trailer:

• Camera shots and transitions (remember: plenty of close-ups and fast-paced editing)
• The on-screen text you will include (e.g. release date)
• How your main characters will be introduced
• Script any dialogue in the trailer 
• The different locations your trailer will feature

7) Draw your storyboard on the official AQA storyboard sheets

8) Choose one of the five films you researched to be the film you will analyse in your 1,000 essay. Make sure there is enough for you to analyse.

9) Research the institutions behind the film (film studio, distributor etc.) and post what you find on your blog.

10) Analyse the representation of people, places, events or ideas in your chosen film and post your analysis on your blog.

GCSE Media homework 05/12/12

In class, you presented your table's film poster and trailer to the class, answering these five questions:

1. What is the genre of the film?
2. What key conventions of a film poster can you find?
3. What key conventions of a film trailer can you find?
4. What is the target audience for the film?
5. Why is the film promotion successful?

You now need to post your group's film poster and trailer on your blog with written answers to those five questions.

Due: Friday

GCSE Media homework 28/11/12

You need to write an analysis of a film trailer - just like last week's homework - but this time you need to focus on the representation of people, places or groups in the trailer. Make sure you embed the trailer from YouTube and use the key word 'stereotypes' in your analysis. Here's an example for Die Hard 4.0...

A variety of people, places and groups are represented in this trailer. Unusually, the trailer subverts the stereotype of a villain by having the enemy as an American. Often, the villain in an action or action adventure film is foreign. This is largely off-set by the representation of Bruce Willis as a stereotypical white, American patriotic male. He shows key characteristics - bravery, strength, intelligence and a desire to save lives and protect other Americans - that we would expect from the action adventure genre.

The representation of women is less positive and very stereotypical for an action film. The only female characters of note are a woman in one early scene in the trailer who is stereotypically beautiful and wearing tight clothing - exactly what you would expect for a genre aimed primarily at a male audience. The more significant female character is Bruce Willis's daughter who is represented as a classic 'damsel in distress' and requires men to save her.

There is also a stereotypical representation of young people in the trailer. Younger characters are linked to technology and gadgetry and indeed the very last scene of the trailer mocks the younger characters for this ability ("It's not a command centre - it's a basement"). This is in keeping with the stereotype that young people are comfortable with technology and quite 'geeky' and that older people - particularly those who are strong and brave - are the real heroes.

Due: Wednesday 5 December

GCSE Media homework 23/11/12

Well done to every GCSE Media student for the hard work on Assignment 1. There were some absolutely spectacular magazine covers produced and if the written analysis is equally good we'll be looking at a whole host of A/A* grades.

We have now started Assignment 2 - Film Promotion. A reminder of your homework:

1. Make sure your blog is up-to-date with your finished Assignment 1 magazine cover.
2. Choose a film trailer, embed the clip from YouTube and write an analysis of what genre the film is in and why.

Due: Wednesday 28 November

Mr Halsey

Assignment 1: Print - Analytical task guidance

Assignment 1: Print

Analytical task: Analyse the cover pages of two popular magazines. How do the covers appeal to their audiences?

Pages 1&2
Write a short paragraph introducing the popular magazine you are analysing and outlining its target audience (if you can find the target audience by researching online this is even better).

You then need to annotate the magazine cover, picking four or five key aspects that target that specific audience (use the 12 key conventions of magazine covers to help you). Remember to use media language throughout and make sure you are ANALYSING rather than just describing. 

Page 3
Your third page should analyse your own magazine cover. First, write a paragraph explaining how your research, planning and sketching helped you produce the final mock-up on Photoshop. Next, explain your target audience in detail (use your notes from the audience demographics lesson to help you).

Then, annotate your magazine, picking four or five key aspects that target your specific audience.

Remember:

D = Denotation = What you can see
C = Connotation = What it means
A = Analysis = WHY it is produced in that way and the EFFECT on the reader/audience

October GCSE mock - pre-release materials

October mock exam: Music Press (print and online)

Pre-release briefing notes

We are loudproductions.com

We are a new media production company with serious attitude. We’re passionate about music and reckon there’s a major gap in the market where young people are simply not engaging in music magazines.

We also recognise that today’s dynamic 15-24 demographic wouldn’t be seen dead buying a magazine in WHSmiths, so we’re looking to launch a new online music magazine that our target audience can interact with on the web and on the move.

The key decisions: title, slogan, genre, features and design are still to be decided – and that’s where you come in. We want you to pitch an online music magazine that will fill that gap in the market and show that we are genuine players in the music press.

We are loudproductions.com

Preparation tasks

1. Research the following magazines online: NME, Mojo, Q, Vibe, The Wire, The Situation, Kerrang!, B&S, The Source, Rock Rap Confidential, BBC Music Magazine. What style of music does the magazine focus on? What artists are featured? Who do you think is the target audience for each magazine? How can you tell?

2. Find the following print music magazine covers on Google images: NME, Mojo, Q, Vibe, Kerrang!. What key conventions appear on every front cover? What artists are featured?

3. Brainstorm ideas for your music magazine: title, slogan, genre, features, USP etc. 

4. Come up with five creative ways you could promote your website to the 15-24 age range.

5. Think about the design of your website – what would it look like? What colours would you use? What artist would feature on the homepage? What different sections would appear in the menu bar? Feel free to sketch ideas out or mock it up on Photoshop.

Photoshop - colour workshop

1) Create a colour palette based on one of the following words:


Urban
Fashionable
Expensive
Skin-tone
Pastel
Vibrant

Fresh

Youthful

Earth

Autumn

Winter

Fruity

2) Choose an image from the internet that represents your chosen palette well and copy it. Download the empty Fruit Bowl image from the VLE > Media Studies > Shared documents and paste your image in the top corner. Then, use the eyedropper tool to colour the fruit bowl: