Sunday 31 January 2010

AS Evaluation Activities - Film

Once you've made your film opening you need to evaluate what you have done. What the exam board don't want is a boring essay response. They want to see you make full use of new technologies and present your thoughts in an interesting and engaging way. Below are some suggestions on how to respond to the seven questions set by OCR (with a few tips added by myself).


EVALUATION ACTIVITY 1In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of film openings)
Remember when you looked at 9 frames from Art of the title sequence during planning? Well now it's your turn to do the same with nine of your frames.

You should go through the final version of the project and select nine distinct frames which you screengrab and drop into a photoshop in the same style as the website. You will be using these to write about how typical or not of opening sequences your particular design is, so choose them carefully. You may wish to use TubeChop instead but it is essential that nine frames are selected. (Mr Smith)

Once you have the nine frames neatly in Photoshop, screengrab the whole thing and post to your blog, then write an analysis of how you have used such conventions.

The aspects we would like you to consider across your nine frames are:

The title of the film
Setting/location
Costumes and props
Camerawork and editing
Title font and style
Story and how the opening sets it up
Genre and how the opening suggests it
How characters are introduced
Special effects


EVALUATION ACTIVITY 2How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Pick a key character from your opening. Take a screengrab of a reasonable sized image of them. Think of one or more characters from other films with some similarity to them (but maybe some differences too!), find an image on the web of that/those characters and grab it as well. Drop the two into photoshop, as a split screen. Export this splitscreen image as a jpeg then drop onto your blog and write about the similarities and differences in terms of appearance, costume, role in film etc.

So for example if you have a lone cop type character, look for other lone cops to compare him with...

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 3What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
For this question, you are going to do a 'director's commentary' style voiceover explaining some of the key features of your opening

You will need to script the voiceover which deals with institutional issues to include:

discussion of your production company name and logo and the role of such companies

What does a production company do?
the idea of a distributor and who that might be and why.
where the money might have come from for a film such as yours
why the various people are named in the titles- which jobs appear in titles and in what order and how have you reflected this?
what your film is similar to 'institutionally' (name some films which would be released in a similar way)
You need to refer to actual company names and processes so you will need to go back to the early posts on film companies and maybe do a bit more research

When you have scripted, record the voiceover using Final Cut on a new audio timeline, then export to quicktime and embed on blog.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 4
Who would be the audience for your media product?
You should have a drawing of your target audience member and an explanation of what kinds of taste they might have- where they would shop, what music they would listen to, what their favourite Tv programme would be, etc.

make sure you have taken a photo of it, post it on the blog and write a few notes on why they would watch your film.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 5
How did you attract/address your audience?
You will use YOUTUBE's annotation tools to add NOTES, SPEECHBUBBLES, and LINKS to your video:

http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=92710

These annotations will highlight the ways in which your Film Opening links to other similiar films in order to attract the particular Audience you have previously identified.

Your annotations will refer to genre conventions, use of music, similiarities with other movies and what you have identified as the Unique Selling Point of your imaginary film.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
In pairs, take a picture of each other holding the kit you have used. This might just be the camera and tripod, and your Macbook but there may be other things you want in the shot.

Drop the image onto your blog and annotate it, adding all the programs and other technology you have used as screengrabs and what you learnt about it/from using it. Your written text need only be minimal. You could include reference to all the online and computer programs you have used such as youtube, flickr, blogger, final cut,photoshop,vimeo garageband, etc.


EVALUATION ACTIVITY 7
Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

Concentrate on editing and camerawork.

Grab some frames from both tasks and put them on the blog and show what you know about shot types, edit terms and techniques.

Make sure you mention the 180 degree rule, match on action and shot/reverse shot

AS Evaluation Activities - Print

Once you've made your print product you need to evaluate what you have done. What the exam board don't want is a boring essay response. They want to see you make full use of new technologies and present your thoughts in an interesting and engaging way. Below are some suggestions on how to respond to the seven questions set by OCR.


EVALUATION ACTIVITY 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of Music Magazines)

You should go through the final version of the project and select nine elements which you screengrab and drop into a photoshop. You will be using these to write about how typical or not of music magazines your particular design is, so choose them carefully.

Once you have the nine frames neatly in Photoshop, screengrab the whole thing and post to your blog, then write an analysis of how you have used such conventions.

The aspects we would like you to consider across your nine frames are:

The title of the magazine
mise-en-scene of images
Costumes and props
People
Title font and style
Written content
Music genre and how your magazine suggests it
Layout
Contents pages


EVALUATION ACTIVITY 2
How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Pick a photograph of a person from your magazine. Take a screengrab of a reasonable sized image of them. Find an image from a real magazine which you think bears some similarity. Drop the two into photoshop, as a split screen. Export this splitscreen image as a jpeg then drop onto your blog and write about the similarities and differences in terms of the way you have constructed the image.

You might consider posture, gesture, angle, shot type, lighting, costume, expression, hair, etc

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

For this question, you are going to annotate jpegs of your magazine in Flickr.

You will need to consider institutional issues to include:

discussion of the role of magazine distribution.

what your magazine is similar to 'institutionally' (name some magazines which would be distributed in a similar way)
You need to refer to actual company names and processes

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 4
Who would be the audience for your media product?

You should have a drawing of your target audience member and an explanation of what kinds of taste they might have- where they would shop, what music they would listen to, what their favourite Tv programme would be, etc.

make sure you have taken a photo of it, post it on the blog and write a few notes on why they would buy your magazine.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 5
How did you attract/address your audience?

You will use Flickr's annotation tools to highlight the ways in which your magazine links to other similiar magazines in order to attract the particular Audience you have previously identified.

Your annotations will refer to genre conventions, use of music, and what you have identified as the Unique Selling Point of your imaginary magazine.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

In pairs, take a picture of each other holding the kit you have used. This might just be the camera and tripod, and your Macbook but there may be other things you want in the shot.

Drop the image onto your blog and annotate it, adding all the programs and other technology you have used as screengrabs and what you learnt about it/from using it. Your written text need only be minimal. You could include reference to all the online and computer programs you have used such as , flickr, blogger,photoshop,InDesign, etc.


EVALUATION ACTIVITY 7
Looking back at your preliminary task (the school magazine task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

Grab some frames from both tasks and put them on the blog and show what you know about photography, layout, fonts and modes of address.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Synergy Marketing - Iron Man 2 (AC DC Shoot To Kill)

Taken from 'Aint It Cool'

This is one of the most shameless examples of synergy marketing ever.

VIDEO HERE

"Shoot To Thrill” Premieres Today With 11 AC/DC Video Classics on VEVO

NEW YORK January 26, 2010 – Iron Man fans can preview footage from the forthcoming Iron Man 2 movie with the premiere of AC/DC’s new music video for “Shoot To Thrill” beginning today on the VEVO Network. VEVO, the new premium music video and entertainment service, will exclusively premiere “Shoot To Thrill” as well as 11 other AC/DC music videos, which Columbia Records is making available in short-form for the first time.

AC/DC’s “Shoot To Thrill” features heavily in the hotly-anticipated Iron Man 2, which hits theatres May 7. Many never-before-seen clips from the forthcoming movie, as well as incredible performance footage from the band’s recent concert in Buenos Aires, can be seen in the new music video. Iron Man 2, based on the classic Marvel comic, is Paramount’s sequel to 2008’s Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. and directed by Jon Favreau, which grossed over $300 million in the U.S.

Additionally, AC/DC fans will be able to watch exclusively on VEVO just-released short-form music videos of some of the band’s classic hits including “Shoot To Thrill” (from Circus Krone), “Let There Be Rock” (from No Bull), “Thunderstruck” (from Live at Donnington), “Let There Be Rock,” “Rock ‘N’ Roll Damnation,” “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It),” “Back In Black,” “Thunderstruck,” “Highway to Hell,” “Guns for Hire” and “Rock N Roll Train.” Videos for these songs were previously available only as part of long-form live concert DVDs.

All music videos can be viewed across the VEVO Network, which includes VEVO.com and YouTube. Fans can instantly access “Shoot To Thrill” (from Iron Man 2) on VEVO’s home page or any of the AC/DC videos on the band’s profile page at http://www.acdc.vevo.com .

About VEVO

VEVO is the leading innovative online premium music and entertainment service for consumers, advertisers and content owners that blends the very best in musical content with cutting-edge video technology and a thriving user community powered by YouTube. The content is made available across the VEVO Network, which includes VEVO.com (the service’s marquee destination site), on YouTube through a VEVO-branded channel, and through a VEVO-branded embedded player. The service also serves as a syndication platform for additional internet destination sites, expanding the reach of the VEVO Network across the worldwide web.
VEVO was created in partnership by Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and the Abu Dhabi Media Company. It is operated independently by a dedicated management team with offices in Los Angeles and New York. The VEVO Network features the most extensive catalog of premium music content found anywhere on the web thanks to deals with such leading music companies as Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music, ABKCO, Big Machine Records, CBS Interactive Music Group, Concord Music Group, Hollywood Records, Lyric Street Records, Razor & Tie Entertainment, Walt Disney Records, Wind-up Records, Caroline Distribution, Fontana Distribution, INgrooves, IODA, RED and The Orchard, among many others. Explore VEVO at www.vevo.com.

Thursday 21 January 2010

8 Key Questions to answer before you start filming your coursework

1. The action: identify the event your idea is based around; what actually happens (discovery of a body, an illicit meeting, a witness seeing a crime being committed, a criminal act taking place, a telephone call, a chase, a short journey etc)?
2. The theme(s): what should it make the audience think about or feel, what ‘issues’ will it raise (revenge, sexuality, voyeurism, stalking, obsession, greed etc)?
3. The narrative: how is it structured - classic narrative pattern or break with convention, real time or different time zones, flashbacks/forwards, dreams etc. Will there be dialogue? What about diegetic/ non-diegetic sound?
4. The character(s): who are they, identify their roles, what are their characteristics, including gender, appearance etc?
5. The setting and choice of location: where is it set?
6. The mise-en-scene: identify colours, lighting, dress codes, the overall visual look
7. The camera work: the style you are aiming for
8. The editing: edited as a continuous sequence, use of cross cutting, use of montage, or combination?

8 Planning Questions for your film

1. Is it practical?
2. Is it an idea that works to the strengths of the group?
3. Will it show off the skills you have learnt so far on the course?
4. Is it something you can reasonably shoot and edit in the time available?
5. Can you get access/ permission to shoot in the chosen location at the chosen times?
6. Can you organise lighting to use in that location?
7. Have you included dialogue? If so, will it work to shoot conversation in that location?
8. Do you have guaranteed high quality reliable actors to play the characters?

AS Coursework Research and Planning - mark scheme

Marking Criteria for the Presentation of the Research and Planning

AS Coursework Evaluation - questions and mark scheme

Marking Criteria for the Evaluation

Thursday 14 January 2010

Audience Profiling sheet

Fill in this sheet to help you consider in detail who the target audience is for your media product. Download or sketch a picture of what they might look like.

Audience Profiling Sheet

Thursday 7 January 2010

G321 - Course deadlines for all AS students

G321-Course-Outline-Dec-2009-to-March-2010

Checklist for analysing existing texts

Minimum of 3 film openings/magazines (inc front cover, content, double page spread)

Identify target audience

Analyse in detail

Look for typical conventions/play on conventions

Consider the appeal to audience

Use the terminology you have learnt from TV drama module

Use your research skills developed in Institution and Audience module

Choose 3 contrasting texts i.e Hollywood Blockbuster/low budget

Discuss the successes and limitations of the text

How will you take your inspiration from the texts?